Look behind you
by Maradon
Summary: FM Detective Don Flack has everything almost perfect. When one Crazy start murdering New York women, it all change. What those murders have do with Flack and where to all in that fit young CSI Lindsay Monroe? Rated T to be safe.
1. Blue teeth and blue hair

_Disclaimer: All the characters of CSI: NY belong to the creators, and the actors belong to themselves._

_N/A: It's my first fanfic, if I have stepped on someones feet by taking their ideas, then I'm sorry_

Lindsay and Danny walked into the sitting room. They had been talking, but suddenly stopped in mid-sentence. On the other side of the room; bad humoured detective Don Flack was pouring himself some coffee.

"Flack, what are you doing?" Lindsay's question surprised Flack.

"What does it look like? Drinking coffee,"

"Don, are you sure?"

Flack looked at Danny, coffee cup half way from his mouth,

"What is it? Jeopardy? Of course I'm sure!"

Lindsay sighted, "Flack, what day is today?" Don looked at them like they were crazy,

"Wednesday, and so?"

"What is going on? In normal days you are quicker. It's second Wednesday of the month; usually you stay away from that coffee-machine, when you don't know, if there is any milk around." Flack looked wide-eyed at Danny, put the cup down, and stepped two steps back.

"Mac made that coffee, right?"

"Yes."

"Then it's strong as hell?"

"Yes, but I think we have milk." Lindsay walked to the fridge, took the milk out, and poured it into Flack's coffee and gave it to him. He sat on the couch, took a long sip from the cup, and closed his eyes. Danny sat next to him and Lindsay on the coffee table.

"So, Don, what is going on? Last time when I saw you in that kind of a mood, it was when Mac told you that you can't come to this room for a month, because we had a little water war here."

Flack looked at him like he was crazy, and shooked his head towards Lindsay, who just smiled, "Relax, Flack, I already know, what you, guys, are capable of." Flack just covered his face with hands.

"So, now would you tell us, what is wrong?" Don looked at Danny and then Lindsay.

"I just talked with my mother." Messer smiled, "Let me guess, you had a lecture named: I-Don't-Complain-I-Already-Have-Two-Grandchildren-From-Your-Sister-But-When-I-Will-See-Yours? Or something like that?"

Flack nodded, and then he pulled his hand through his hair. "There is more?" Lindsay asked.

Flack nodded again, "My mother's neighbours' daughter, Melody Bianchi, has been missing for three days."

"Is that the Melody, who you played with, when you were a little boy, and you dated in high school?"

"Yeah, that's the one, she hasn't called her mother for three days, and she has not come home. None of her friends or co-workers has seen her."

"Did they call the police?"

"Yes,"

"Then you have nothing to worry about, they will find her." Lindsay put her hand on Don's shoulder.

"Thanks, Monroe."

Danny's phone started to ring,

"Messer…Ok, will be there soon." He closed the phone. "Come on, Montana, Adam wants to show us something."

Flack saw, how Lindsay winced at that nickname, and in her eyes he saw murderous sparkle. Flack knew very well what she felt. Lindsay sat up, "I'm coming, see you later Flack."

"Yeah, later."

_(Six hours later)_

She hated it, hated it, hat e d it. How stupid one man could be? Danny Messer had limited all the lines of that question. Lindsay wanted to hit something, closest thing was her locker. She did it with all the strength she had.

"If I would have known that you are planning to hold a boxing match with your locker, I would have sold the tickets."

"Ha ha, very funny, Flack." She sat down and covered her eyes with hands; she wanted Flack to go away. He was Danny's best friend, and everything related to Danny made her angrier. But Flack didn't leave.

"So what's going on?"

"Nothing."

"You think I'm going to believe that crap? It's Messer, right?"

"How did you know?"

"I have a sixth sense about him. So spill, what did he do?" Lindsay felt awkward; she looked at Flack amazing blue eyes and felt she could trust him.

"He is calling me Montana, and doesn't understand that I hate that nickname, and he is making those jokes, which aren't funny." Young detective sat beside her, and sighted.

"I know what you feel; when I first started to working here, he had a nickname for me too," Lindsay looked at him. "You're kidding, right?"

"Would those eyes lie?" Lindsay just smiled, "He had worked here for a year then. And I was the so-called new guy. So, you know that my father is Donald Flack Sr, the famous homicide detective, everywhere I went, I was known has his son, not just Don Flack but, Donald Flack jr and then Danny started calling me Junior. Honestly, sometimes I wanted to kill him, but I didn't."

"When did he stop, calling you Junior?"

"After two years."

"And why?"

"Because I put away one crazy sniper, and saved Messer's butt." One thought started to bother Lindsay, those practical jokes what she had heard around the lab.

"Did you pay him back?" Flack started to laugh, "You know the saying - revenge is a bitch?"

"Of course."

"I painted his mouth and teeth blue," the picture that came to his mind made him laugh louder, it was a beautiful memory.

"How?"

"Gave him a little pit of ink."

"How did you do that?" Monroe saw the humorous spark in Flack's eyes.

"I brought him some grape juice, and put inside of it a little pit of ink, so much that his mouth and teeth would change blue and so little that he wouldn't taste it." Lindsay couldn't stop laughing it was so hilarious.

"He didn't understand why the entire team, the cops and the lab tech laughed at him. By the end of his shift, Stella had asked him what kind of toothpaste he was using that his teeth were so blue. He is a quick one, so five minutes later he came barging into my office, but I was already gone, I saw it all from a webcam what was hooked to my computer, I left him a note, "not bad for a Junior," and he understand why I did it."

"So did he pay back?"

"Of course."

"What did he do?"

"But blond hair dye to my shampoo,"

"You are kidding me?"

"No, I had blue hair for two days. Because my mother and sister were out of the town, hairdressers were all booked, Stella, Aiden and Kaile just laughed and my father said - revenge is a bitch." Lindsay laughed so much that tears came out of her eyes. Flack liked her laughter it was natural, not every women laughed naturally.

"I need to ask, was the water war incident one of the revenge jokes?"

"Yes of course, it took place 5 months ago. It was Danny's fault, put he framed me."

"And what did you do?"

"Four moths ago, on our department picnic day I put a label to his back saying "use me for a sex, men". He didn't understand why all those man gave him their numbers. I'm still waiting for the revenge."

"Why hasn't Mac put an end to this?"

"I think he likes it, jokes bring some colour to our boring life." With that sentence Flack rose, "To you want to go with me to Ray's and crab some beer." Lindsay wiped off the tears that were still streaming down her cheeks. She took her bag. "Sure, why not, if you can promise me, that I'm not going to get hit with something that was aimed at you." Flack laughed and took Lindsay's hand, "I think, I can promise you that." Hand in hand they walked out from the Locker room.


	2. New friends found, old ones die

Flack was pouring water into the coffee-machine, when break room's door opened and Lindsay walked in. Flack looked her smilingly, "So, Monroe, how's your head?" She lifted her head from the paper she was reading and grumbled, "It is telling me, never ever to drink with you again."

Flack smirked, he went to Lindsay and kissed her hand, "I'm sorry, but you must remember, that it was you, who wanted to know, how it feels like to drink a tequila in New York." Monroe smacked his hand, and then she looked at the cupboard in the other end of the room.

"And what are you doing?"

"Making coffee, what does it look like?"

"Why don't you make it two floors down, in your department?" Flack frowned,

"You haven't learned anything in those three months you have worked here," Lindsay sent a puzzled look at him.

"We have a deal with Mac, me and Maka, that we can drink lab's coffee, because we are two detectives, who are working most frequently with CSIs. You know how bad is department's coffee, it's like mud."

"Yeah I know that, but I thought you came from a long line of policemen and that you are accustomed with that kind of a coffee." Coffee machine started to gurgle; Flack looked at it, and then again Lindsay.

"You are forgetting that I have a mother too, she never let my father or grandfather make the coffee and always did herself, me and my sister learned from her how to make seriously good coffee."

He made some coffee for everyone there.

Monroe looked at the cup suspiciously, "My deal with Mac is that we can drink coffee, but one day of the month we must make coffee. Like the other CSIs and lab techs." He took a long sip from the cup and looked at Lindsay, then his eyebrow rose. She smiled a little, and took carefully a little sip. Her face expression changed, "It is you!"

"What?" Flack was puzzled.

"In three months what I have been here, I have drank only three times so amazing coffee, and always on month's second Thursday, I have been trying to think, who is the maker, but I haven't found out." She took another long sip from the cup, "now I know, it's you!"

Flack bowed his head a little, "At your service, madam." Lindsay smiled and sat beside Flack. Lindsay looked like she was in heaven, "Always on these Thursday, I sit here and enjoy the excellent masterpiece. I once even asked Messer, but he just smiled mysteriously and said, "guess", I would have never guessed that it was you."

"I'm flattered," he took a last sip and rose, "But now I must go and do some paper work, before captain sends out a search party and my coffee making days here are over."

"Oy, we don't want that to happen, I think I'm in love with your coffee." Flack smiled and left Lindsay enjoying her coffee; she had such a blissful smile on her face.

(Abandoned house near New York Harbor)

Danny and Lindsay walked up to Flack, who was leaning against the door and was waiting for them.

"So what's the case?" Danny stepped beside Don.

"Two teenage boys came hear to drink, on a middle of a school day and stumbled on a dead body, naked woman's body, she is turned on her stomach and her long hair is covering her face. There are rope bruises on both of her arms."

They had stepped into the crime scene. Middle of the room was a body just like Flack had described it. Danny frowned, "The crime scene is such a mess, Montana, I leave it to you, I take the body."

"That isn't fair." Lindsay pouted even when she knew that scene was easier than the body.

"Who ever said life must be fair." Messer grinned, and leaned over the body; Lindsay started making pictures, and looked over the scene. Flack just smiled and went to talk to the boys. He went down to the first floor where two boys were waiting.

"I'm detective Flack, you must be Kevin and Simon?" Boys jumped from the bench, they looked like two scared lab rats, one of them swallowed hard and nodded.

"Okay then, tell me, what exactly happened?" Flack was actually amused; he remembered how was it to be a teenager, and know that you have been caught doing something you weren't allowed to do. But this was always quite problematic, because every policeman knew his father.

"Well, we have this school project; we must locate all the empty houses in harbor area." Don grossed his arms, "Yeah, you really think I believe that crap, making a school project with six bottles of beer, what sergeant Hollecomp eliminated?"

"Okay, we came here to drink," longhaired one said.

"For the report, what Hollecomp must write, why did you want to drink anyway." boys stayed quiet.

"Okay let me guess then, problems with parents?" silence.

"With girlfriend?" no answer

"In school with grades." boys exchanged looks. Flack smirked,

"So you came drinking here, in the middle of your school day, because of your bad grades, Hollencomp, times have changed since we went to school, we drank only at weekends. So tell me, what happened then?"

"We went upstairs, where we usually hang out, and there she was."

"You didn't see anyone else."

"No, we ran out and called the police."

"Thank you, now sergeant Hollencomp will take you home." Boys started to shake their heads, "No, no you can't to that to us."

"Oh, but I can, your parents need to hear, what you have been up to. Sergeant Hollencomp, take care of those kids."

"Sir."

Flack went and questioned the neighbors, and after that he walked back to second floor; he was looking at his notebook, when he entered to the crime scene.

"Neighbors didn't see or hear anything." He glanced at the body, what Danny had just turned around, and froze. Messer, who was accustomed that his friend was talkative, and now was quieter than iceberg, looked at him, "Hey, Flack, what's wrong?"

Don shook his head, "Danny, that's Melody Bianchi."

"Your high-school sweetheart?"

"Yeah."

"Oh my God."

Before he could say anything else to Flack, Lindsay called behind the door, "Hey, guys, I think you have to see that." There something on the wall written in Italian. "I can't read it, but I think you can."

Flack looked at it "It says "Look behind you, Flack, revenge is a bitch."" Lindsay watched both Danny and Flack. Flack was stunned; "He killed her because of me."

"Montana, take Don out of here," Lindsay nodded, she put her hand on his shoulder, "Don, come, you need some fresh air."

Flack didn't even resist. He took Lindsay's hand and let her drag himself out. Danny took his phone, "Mac, we have a problem, I think you must come here."

Fifteen minutes later Mac arrived at the scene. Danny was waiting for him at the door, "So what's going on?"

"I think you need to see that." Danny took Mac to the body, "Let me introduce you to Melody Bianchi."

"That's Flack's high-school girlfriend."

"Yes, and there is more." He took his boss to the wall, "I think you know little Italian." Mac read the note, "where is Flack now?"

"Lindsay took him out of here, last time I saw them, they were sitting outside, across the street." Mac went to the window and looked down to the street, there were sitting Flack and Lindsay, Flack was talking and Lindsay held her hand on Don's shoulder and listened. Mac felt good, now he knew that he had picked the right CSI for the job, he went on to the street, and joined his friends.

"Flack," Don looked up.

"Mac?"

"Are you sure, you are able to work on this case, or should I ask Maka?" At first there was a weird sparkle in Flack's eyes, but then he nodded, "Are you sure, that you can take it as any other case?"

"I'm sure Mac." Mac nodded, "I think it's time you to tell her mother. But come to my office afterwards."

"Certainly," Flack rose, he glanced at Lindsay, "Thanks for listening,"

"Anytime."

When the car drove away, Lindsay asked, "Is he going to be all right?"

"Not right know, but soon he will. We must support him, right?"

"Right." They went back to the crime scene, where Danny was waiting.

(Flacks parents' house)

Flack stepped into his parents' house; he had so many memories from here - he and his sister playing, the times when he has sneaked into the house in the middle of the night, and always had been caught by her mother. And he felt fear, what never left these walls, the fear his mother had felt because of his father's job and now he felt her fear for him. Don went to the kitchen, where his mother was making lunch.

"Mom."

"Donny, what's wrong?" She stepped towards her son; Flack shooked his head, and hugged his mother, "Mom, it's Melody, she is dead."

"Oh my god, we must call Sophia." She had started to cry.

(Mac's office two hours later)

When Flack entered into the office, he saw that the whole team was there: Mac, Danny, Stella, Lindsay, Sheldon, Adam and Sid. Mac looked at Flack. "Feeling any better, Don?"

"Yeah." Lindsay made him room beside her on the sofa.

"So what to we have?" Mac looked at Sid. "As much I could tell, she had been binded up for three days," he glanced carefully at Flack, "and… she had been raped for several times," they all saw how Flack was suffering, "She died because of a cocaine overdose. We believe she was it was injected by someone else. Her body was clean, we didn't find any evidence, no sperm, no hair, nothing." Mac looked at them, "Did you find anything,"

"The crime scene was clean too, we didn't find anything," Lindsay looked at Flack.

"Flack, we are sorry," Stella almost whispered, she couldn't say anything else.

Flack rose, he looked at them all, "I know." He started to leave.

"Flack, where are you going?" Danny jumped up.

"Home,"

"What are you going to do there?" Lindsay looked concerned.

"Maybe I'll drink, a lot, the time will tell." and gone he was.

* * *

_So here the second Chapter, I hope you guys like it. I'm all ready writing the third I put it up as soon as I can._

_I have a stupid question. How can I put my story up to the community could somebody tell me._


	3. Whiskey and a talk

There were two bottles of whiskey on the table, Jack Daniels and Black Label. Both very good whiskeys and Flack wanted to drink, oh yes, he really wanted to drink, but he didn't want to drink alone.

But Don didn't want to disturb his friends. They had their own lives and he didn't want to bother them with his problems. They already had their own.

When he was thinking about his misery, the doorbell rang; Flack frowned, who could be at the door. He guessed it could have been Mrs Mercedes, who wanted to offer him some of the cookies she always made. Every time when Flack came home the fourth floor corridor smelled like a bakery. He never had enough of those cookies. He didn't even look through the peephole, still thinking about the taste of his favourite cookies, but he had been wrong. On the other side of the door didn't stand Mrs Mercedes but Mac.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Mac felt a little uncomfortable, "I just walked by, and saw that you had lights on and I decided to come up and see how you are doing. If this is ok with you..."

"That's bullshit Mac, you know really well that it's the oldest excuse."

"Okay you are right, I thought that I couldn't let you drink alone."

"Thanks, I actually just wished that I had some company."

He led Mac to the living room and started to say something, when the doorbell rang again, they exchanged looks. When Flack opened the door, he saw Danny with a pizza.

"Hey, I thought that I should come over and help you drink. I also brought you some food."

"Food is always great, thanks, come in."

Danny was walking to the living room and Flack was already closing the door, when he saw Hawkes climbing up the stairs with a six-pack.

"Hey Flack, I was going by and I thought to come and help you drink." Flack had smiled on his face, the same old excuse…

"Come in join the others."

"The others?"

"Yeah, Mac and Danny are already here to help me drink. Come in." Hawkes walked past Flack. Don followed him, "Hey guys, I guess one pizza isn't enough for us."

He couldn't even enter the living room, when the doorbell rang again, "I think I'll just leave the door open, so everybody could walk in, even those who I don't know." Behind the door were standing Stella and Lindsay with two pizzas. They saw how a little sparkle came to Flack's sad eyes, before they could say anything, "Hey, guys, who ordered the girls?"

"Girls? What girls?" Danny asked in the living room, and then Flack heard his steps, Sheldon was walking behind him, slightly slower and then came Mac with his typical long strides. "These are only Montana and Stella," Danny sounded bit disappointed.

Girls exchanged looks, "To you want the honor?" Lindsay asked from Stella, "Oh, thank you very much," she turned to Danny, "Only Us, Messer?"

"When you think so little of us, we go away, and take these pepperoni pizzas with us." Lindsay smiled.

"Pepperoni pizzas?" asked Mac and Sheldon at the same time.

"Yes," Stella smiled.

"Danny, get down on your knees, and say you're sorry," Mac said with a calm voice.

"Knees? Isn't it bit too … dramatic," Danny looked at him with horror in his eyes.

"We just want hear him apologize, not embarrass him," Lindsay exchanged smiles with Stella, "But, if you think it is necessary, Mac, who are we to disagree with you and it would be quite fun." Danny scratched his forehead, looked at Flack, who looked away, and sighed deeply, "I'm sorry."

"Ok, that will do," Stella said.

"I know what you are doing," Flack said, when guys stepped away from the door so girls could come in. He had started to feel uncomfortable; he didn't want to bother them all with his problems. All of them looked at him as he was crazy, "And what are we doing?" Hawkes raised his eyebrow.

"You are trying to raise my spirit."

"Oh, Sherlock, you are quick," Lindsay said, with a little sarcasm and concern.

Girls stopped, when they saw two whiskey bottles on the table. They understood now, what Flack had meant, when he left Mac's office. Those two bottles meant that if they hadn't come, Flack would have drunk all that whiskey alone and there could have been more serious consequences than just hangover.

"Hey, come on, let's eat!" Danny broke the awkward silence. Lindsay and Stella started to fuss. Stella cleaned the table and put all three-pizza boxes there, Monroe looked around then asked Flack, "Hey, Don, where do you keep the napkins and glasses?"

Flack came out of the haze, where he had fallen, although there were many sad thoughts surrounding him, he tried to focus on reality. "Oh, what? Oh yes… they are in the kitchen, but Lindsay, I can get them myself." Lindsay smiled and took Flack's hand and guided him to the chair, "Now sit here and help Stella, I use the little CSI in me, and try to find them by myself. Believe in me." She winked, but didn't wait for the answer.

Flack's kitchen was cozy and made her immediately feel like she was at home. Flack might appear like a tough New York cop, but his kitchen betrayed that his mother had somehow managed to teach him the secrets of cooking.

"Now, when I were Flack, where would I put the glasses?" She looked around, and walked to the stove, she opened the second cupboard from left. And there they were, she opened the third drawer and found the napkins. "I am so good."

When they had eaten the pizzas and drunk all the beers, Mac took Black Label and poured everyone a glass. "Now, Flack, it is time to talk, tell use all the things, what you have in your mind, don't worry about what we think. You are a good friend and we will be there for you, as you can see. Do you want it or not. Talk about everything. When you are finished, you feel better, believe."

Flack took the glass; he looked at the amber-like liquid. He had always hated that colour, but whiskey was one of his favorite drinks after beer and wine.

"OK, Mac, I get it. When I was six, her family moved into the house next to us, we immediately became friends," he talked and talked for two hours, no-one even tried to interrupt. They were in the middle of the second bottle of whiskey, when Flack finished his tale. He felt better, like Mac had said. Then he frowned, he had had too much alcohol and he started to figure about different things. "I don't understand why it is so hard. We hadn't spoken properly for like ten years. We exchanged some quick words, when we both were visiting our parents, but that was it."

"But what happened ten years ago, why did you two break up?" asked Lindsay who was already feeling bit dizzy.

"She left me," everyone exchanged looks; they had never seen that someone would have dumped Flack. Usually he had left them or it was mutual agreement, "She had the same problem that many other women have had. When we were nineteen, she finally understood that I hadn't joked about becoming a cop, but what she didn't understand was, why anyone would want to risk their lives for someone else. Melody saw police work as a way of getting hurt, and being killed. She didn't understand that I could save lives and make the world a better place. God, it sounds stupid. Now I know that she wasn't as strong as my mother, who stood beside my father all those years, and now stands behind me."

Another glass of whiskey went down his throat. Stella had stopped drinking two rounds ago and now was just observing others. Danny and Lindsay were still drinking, so was Hawkes, and Mac was taking slow, he knew already too much about drinking, when you mourn for someone. And they all were mourning, even though most of them had never known Melody. Beside the mourner there always had to be one or two of those who drank as much as the mourner, one, who drank more, this time it was Hawkes, one person was observing others, so they wouldn't do anything stupid, and one, who listened and told the mourner the truth. He knew that the right moment would come soon; he was just waiting for it. When Flack stopped talking with Danny and Hawkes didn't giggle anymore, Mac spoke, "Don, how do you feel now, any better?"

"I hate when people ask that kind of a question." Flack was strangely sober after drinking that much whiskey. "How can I feel any better?"

"I know, sorry" Mac refilled the glasses, "But I must say something, to you want to listen or just drink." Flack gave a sad smile and pulled his hand through the hair, "Ok, talk, I'm willing to listen, anything that you think could help."

"I'm not saying that you should stop mourning, put see the brighter side of death…"

"Oh, someone has watched Van Helsing too much," Hawkes interrupted him. Stella and Lindsay gave him an angry look

"She might be happier there, where she is now. Try to remember good things, not sad ones, I think she would have wanted that you remember her as she was then, when you two were young and in love. She would have wanted you to go on with your life, not drink here and drown your sorrow into these glasses."

Flack tried to ignore him for a while, but then he suddenly smiled a little, "I think you are right, Mac, she wouldn't have wanted that. Mom said the same thing" Mac started to laugh - he did it rarely, so it surprised other, "It's good to know that you have been compared with someone's mother."

An hour later Lindsay fell asleep on Flack's couch and everyone else understood what the time was, "I think it's time to go home," said Stella and stood up. Danny and Sheldon, who were both drunk, agreed. Danny looked at Lindsay, "What about her?"

"Let her sleep here, we both have a free day tomorrow, so we don't disturb one another, and she is better here. It is really late, or should I say early, and it would be difficult to drag her home."

Others agreed. Mac stood up and put his hand on Flack's shoulder, "Don, I promise you that we will catch the person who did it, tomorrow we will go through it again. There has to be something. There always is."

Flack nodded, he showed his friends to door and then went back to the living room and looked at sleeping Lindsay, she looked beautiful. Flack didn't know where that thought had come from. He decided to push it to the dark corner of his mind. He put a blanket over Lindsay, "Good night, Monroe."

His bed felt so good, and pillows were really soft. He soon fell asleep.

* * *

_Here you are the third chapter, fourth one is coming up soon, I hope you guys like it, if you did pleas review._


	4. Day off 1

Mac looked through all the evidence Danny and Lindsay had found yesterday from the crime scene. He has done it several times and hadn't found anything special, but it was weird that there were only two things - her purse and keys. No clothes were found. All that was strange, why should killer leave there keys and a purse? What keys were they? He picked up the keys and looked at them; there was something wrong with them, but what?

"So, is there anything that could help us?" Mac raised his head; he hadn't even noticed that Stella had walked in the lab.

"No, nothing. Have Danny or Sheldon found anything useful?"

"No, they have been going over and over again and just like you, haven't found anything," then she smiled mischievously, "And remember not to talk too loud when they are around."

"Hangovers?"

"Yeah, Hawkes almost hit Adams, because he laughed to loud. You know the young lab tech Mary you hired month ago?"

Mac raised his eyebrow, "Yeah?"

"Danny promised to lock her to the toilet, if she talked again while standing too close to him. Poor girl had just wanted to show him some test results. She had just said Messer, when he started yelling himself. Poor girl."

"Oh, we are going to have a wonderful day," Mac looked again the keys, "Hey, go take your bag."

"Why?"

"We are going to take a little trip, to Melody's apartment."

* * *

Lindsay woke up, the goddamn sun shined right into her face. Usually she pulled the curtains in front of the window, but for some weird reason, she had forgotten to do that last night. She opened her eyes, but it seemed as if she was still dreaming. Everything was so different. First of all it wasn't her bed or cupboard, well, that wasn't her home. And she had the worst headache in years. 

Lindsay closed her eyes again. She finally recognized Flack's apartment and remembered last night. It was 10am, but it felt as if she had slept only for an hour. She knew others had been working already for two hours and she was still sleeping. At least that made her feel better! She smirked when thinking how Sheldon and Danny must look and feel like right now, Danny had drank as much as Lindsay and Sheldon even more. Poor guys.

She put her head back to the pillow, and listened to the sounds of morning; cars were driving past, and people rushing. She heard garbage truck pulling over and voices from other houses. Radio was loudly playing in Flack's kitchen. Lindsay rubbed her eyes. Flack was up- that was certain. She suddenly smelled the amazing scent of fresh coffee.

She leaned to the doorframe; Flack was in front of the stove, and whistling along to some song.

"I can't understand how you can be so cheerful and fresh, when you drank so much last night." Flack looked over his shoulder, Lindsay had surprised him, he had been so busy with making them breakfast, and didn't hear her.

"Good morning to you too," Lindsay grumbled something and sat beside the table, "I'm feeling so good because I have my grandfather's special recipe against hangover AND I'm a guy. It takes a lot more alcohol." He made Lindsay a cup of coffee, just the way she likes. "Drink it all, I don't want to rush you, put it really helps." Lindsay looked the cup; she didn't want anything, not even Don's amazing coffee.

"If you really think that," she took a sip.

Flack smiled, "I know that it helps. I remember the first time when my grandpa showed me how to do it. I was sixteen; we came up with a brilliant idea ­­­­­­– I mean my friends and I. The idea was that we buy a lot of alcohol, and drink until you really pass out. Anyway, I somehow got back to home, my mother was still up and reading and I didn't know what to do. If I had gone in, she would have noticed that I looked like someone who had been constantly drunk for the past decade. Thank god my grandpa came to the garden to smoke, and found me. He sneaked me somehow into the house and my room by lying something to my mother. Next morning he waked me up at 7 am, he knew that my mother would sleep for an hour more. He made me his hangover medicine and told me that if he ever found me in that condition again, he would give me up to my mother, but I knew he wouldn't. He had been a real rebel when younger. Therefore he was really successful as a cop. He knew all the tricks! But that's another story."

He put eggs and bacon on the table for Lindsay, who had just finished her coffee, and sat beside her, "Eat it, I know you don't want to, but you must." Lindsay muttered something, but started to eat. Flack started to read a newspaper and. Lindsay looked at him, while she was eating. Flack was wearing a blue NYPD t-shirt and black jeans. He looked really good.

When Monroe had eaten all from her plate, Flack gave her a glass with some kind of strange liquid, and a pill, "What is THAT?"

"That?" Flack smiled, "That is tomato juice and Black label, and the pill is aspirin. Drink it."

"If it kills me, then all the evidence will point at you." She drowned all of it, "God, that is disgusting!"

"Put it helps, now go and get a shower, extra toothbrush is in the cupboard above the sink, and I put there some extra towels. If you need, you can go and find a t-shirt from my closet; I think my pants are too big for you, so you must get through with your jeans. And bathroom is next to my bedroom."

"Thanks," she gave a weak smile.

Lindsay opened Flack's closet. There were many shirts, ties and jackets, but she had seen most of them, she started to browse his t-shirts. He had many of them, all of them whit a funny text on like: _I was a schizophrenic, but we are better know, _or _If you talk to me, turn to me as "Yes, Master" _or _Boys learn so fast how to drive a car, but never how to use a vacuum cleaner, a lawn mower or a dishwasher. _

Lindsay took the one that said _Too sexy for this shirt, _because it was the only one small enough to suit her; nevertheless it still was half way down to her thigh. One text capture her eye, she wanted to ask about that from Flack.

Flack was standing in the middle of the room, with a box when Lindsay came from shower. She smiled, "OK, I can understand the schizophrenia one, I can understand the master one, but the t-shirt that says _I want peace in the Middle East…and a blow job_?"

Flack laughed, "Those t-shirts are all presents. People seem to think that I like them. Ones that I have bought myself are at the bottom of the shelf. Danny gave me the one you asked about, and the one with a vacuum cleaner was a gift from my mother, she told me that it remind her my teenage years."

Lindsay laughed too, looked like last night had affected him, it seemed like he felt better, but she wanted to be sure, " Are you still mad at the world and want to yell at me, throw things at me, or something." Flack looked at her for a moment, then showed her a box, "No, I want to play monopoly."

"Monopoly?" Lindsay was sure he had lost it completely, "But it's only two of us."

"Hang on for a moment, you'll see." It wasn't even a moment when the doorbell rang. Lindsay threw a look at him; Flack only raised an eyebrow and went to answer the door. Lindsay looked around towards the living room, she had been there last night but in the daylight it seemed so different. There were many pictures of his family, friends and team. Only picture that was missing was Lindsay's, he hadn't asked for it in three months and she didn't even know to offer him one. Her thoughts were disturbed by the sound of footsteps, when she turned around she saw Flack entering the room with 9-year old girl, who had same kind of black hair as Flack.

"April, I want to introduce you to Lindsay Monroe, my good friend and a co-worker."

The girl resembled Flack so much; she didn't know that Flack had a daughter. Flack smiled, he saw confusion in Lindsay's eyes, "Lindsay, let me introduce you April Douglas, my niece." Lindsay felt relieved and it was so obvious that it took Flack a lot of self-control not to burst out laughing.

"It's nice to meet you miss Douglas."

"It's my pleasure, miss Monroe."

"Call me Lindsay."

"If so, I'm April." It all amused Flack, "Now, when we all are one happy family, can we play a little Monopoly?" Lindsay and April exchanged smiles, "He loves monopoly, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does. He is one person with whom it is always fun to play that."

"If you are done bonding, can we play, so who's the banker."

"I think Lindsay will be, not you." April smiled slickly.

"And why not me?" Flack had just opened the monopoly table.

"Because you cheat."

Flack looked at Lindsay, "Detective Monroe?"  
"Yes, Detective Flack?"

"Did that kid just call me a cheat?"

"Yes, Detective Flack, what are you going to do about it?"

"Arrest her," he looked at April.

"Arrest me, what are the charges?"

"Insulting a police officer."

"You can try!" April laughed and started to run. Flack waited for a second and took off after her; he caught her in the middle of his living room and tickled her. April was rolling around in the ground and laughed, "Pleeeeassse…ha ha…uncle…ha ha…Don…ha ha…stop…ha ha…it!"

"Not before you say you're sorry."

"I'm… ha ha…sorry."

"Say like you mean it."

"I'm…ha ha…sorry…ha ha…I…ha ha…mean…ha ha…it."

"Okay that has to do, now get up and choose your player." While they were on the ground Lindsay had put the entire table up, "I think I'll take the racecar."

"Why always you can have the racecar?" April pouted.

"Let me see, because I'm older, I have a driver's license, I'm better looking than you, ok ok I 'm not sure about that, but, oh yeah, I'm bigger then you. Plus I'm a police officer. Any problems with that?"

"Enough with your ego, could we play?" April took the thimble out of the box.

"Don, has anybody told you, that April is just like you?" Flack smirked, "You know that they say it to me all the time, I saw your face before, but I always tell them to look her mother, she has the looks in that family and character, although her father is alright."

"Hey guys can we play?"

* * *

Mac and Stella stepped into the apartment and they stopped, the walls, the floor, the ceiling, everything was white, even the furniture. 

"Everything is so sterile, just like in the hospital." Stella looked around.

"Yeah, your right."

"I hate hospitals."

"But why does professional interior decorator live in a place like that?"

"I don't know."

Mac looked arond some more, "Do you know what this reminds me?"

"A case of OCD."

"Yes, but Flack never mentioned that."

"Maybe he didn't know."

"Yeah, you are right, they haven't spoken properly for ten years."

"It must have started after they broke up." Mac walked through the room, "I'm going to check the bedroom, look around here." When Mac vanished into the bedroom, Stella started processing the living room, she didn't see anything strange or out of the place, she went back to the door she wanted take the flashlight but spot something under the table, she leaned closer. There were some small pieces of glass; Stella frowned. If she had had OCD, that wouldn't fit into the picture.

"Hey, Mac come here and look at this!" Mac came from the bedroom.

"What do you have?"

"I believe someone has smashed a vase here," Mac squat and looked at the pieces, then he noticed a wrinkled white clothe below the cupboard, he walked there and picked it up, he smelled it, "Chloroform."

"Bag it."

_Flashback _

_Melody stepped into her apartment, from a habit she left the door opened and walked to the table, she was putting her purse and keys on the table, but they didn't reach it, because someone grabbed her from behind and put a cloth on her nose. She started to struggle, when chloroform began to affect she knocked down the vase, it surprised attacker, he dropped the cloth. But Melody was all ready unconscious._

_End of Flashback_

"Did you find anything from the bedroom?" Stella put evidence to the case.

"No, nothing," Mac took his case, "I think we should talk to Melody's mother. Call Danny and Sheldon, tell them to go and talk to her co-workers." Stella nodded; she took her phone when Mac closed the door.

* * *

_I'm writing fifth chapter, I will finich soon, as I said before pleas review, and pleas someone could tell me how to I put it up to community?_


	5. Day off 2

An hour later Flack frowned, he had just landed on Boardwalk with a hotel.

"How the hell that happened, you didn't have any money!" he looked at April, who smiled her innocent smile, "When you were distracted with singing along to "Born to be wild." I and Lindsay made a deal, I sold her Atlantic avenue for 350 bucks and then I could afford the hotel, so pay up."

"That's not fair."

"Using Messer's words, who said that life must be fair," Lindsay tapped her finger on the table and smiled. Although Flack was still upset, he was really happy that Lindsay and April got along so fine.

"My father," it all amused Flack a lot, there was a childish happy sparkle in his eyes, and Lindsay started to play along.

"Oh, your father, and I thought it was your mother."

"My mother has said something about life too, but I forget what it was." April looked up, "Grandmother says that life is easy, but people tend to make it difficult."

"You have a smart mother Flack."

"Yeah, I know."

Half an hour later Flack and April looked at her, "How did you do that?"

"What?" Lindsay was confused.

"How did you beat two Flacks?" Don looked at her with his big round eyes.

"I need to correct, I'm only half a Flack, but that's not the point, only Flacks beat Flacks in the game of monopoly."

"The girl is right."

"I used my brain and little strategy."

"Hey, Uncle Don," April smiled smugly at Flack, "I think you have found your match."

Flack stared at his niece, "Do I need arrest you again?"

"NO!! Uncle Doe," Lindsay looked at Flack, she had never heard such nickname, but he just shook his head and said with his eyes-only that she shouldn't ask, "Can we go for a walk?"

"Yeah, but are you against if Lindsay comes with us?"

"No, I'm not against it, but if she is, then…" there was strange sparkle in April's eyes, and devilish smile on her face.

"You are in Linds, aren't you? We could show you how New Yorkers spend their day off." Lindsay looked at Flack no-one had called her that way for years, she liked it, she saw something in Don's eye that she hadn't seen in the morning. He needed to talk to somebody, but the things he needed to talk about, weren't things what nine-year-old girl would understand.

"Ok, I'm in, show me how real New Yorkers spend their day off."

At their backs April threw her fist in the air, whispering "Yesssss!"

* * *

Bianchis had a beautiful old house, similar to the Flacks' house next door. Beside the staircase was a little stone angel, child-like, head and hands in prayer. It was a sad picture. Especially knowing what tragedy had recently happened in their family.

"They have lost a child before Melody." Stella looked at the little figure.

"How to you know?"

"It is common to put a little angel outside the house or into the garden in memory of the child they have lost." Mac understood their grief, although he hadn't lost a child. Sometimes he wished he had a child, then he would have someone, who was similar to Claire.

Middle-aged woman, with cried eyes, came and opened the door, "Yes?"

"Hello, Mrs. Sophia Bianchi?"

"Yes?"

"I'm detective Mac Taylor and this is detective Stella Bonasera, we are from the CSI and came to talk about Melody." Mrs. Bianchi stepped from the door, "You're Donny's friends, come in," they followed her to the living room. The house was as beautiful inside as it were outside. Everything was colorful and warm, everywhere were books, pictures and flowers. Every inch of the house made them feel as if they were at home and welcomed. It was very different from the apartment were Melody lived, "Can I offer you some tea, I just made."

"Yes, please." Mac answered for both of them. When Melody's mother vanished to the kitchen, Mac looked at Stella, "I don't understand, why girl who had grew up in the house like this could live in apartment like that?" Stella didn't have time to say anything else, because Mrs. Bianchi came into the room again, she gave both of them a cup.

"So how could I help you?"

"We have some questions about Melody?" tears came to the older woman's eyes, "Ask, maybe I can help somehow." Mac glanced at Stella, who understand and gave a weak smile at Sophia, "Did your daughter have a boyfriend?"

"No, she had only one boyfriend after Donny, no more."

"Did she have any enemies?" that question startled Sophia, "Enemies? Enemies… my girl, no, she was the sweetest, kindest girl you could ever found. She didn't have any enemies." Sophia was crying again, all that was hard for her, no one had ever prepared her for that her two children could die before her. Stella put comforting hand on her back, "Mrs. Bianchi, I can't say that I know what you feel, but I know that it hurt much." Sophia looked at her, "Thank you dear, I take myself together, so I could answer your questions."

"We think your daughter might have had an OCD. Could you tell us about it? You may think that it isn't connected, but in order to find the person who did this to your daughter, we need to have as much information as possible." Pain came back to Melody's mother's eyes, but she pulled herself together again, "It's a long story."

"We are here to listen. Please," Mac drank the tea.

"Okay, when I was 16, I had Melody, her father left me and I raised her by myself. When I was 22 I met and married Edward Bianchi, who later on adopted her. We tried for years have another child and after eight years it happened we had a son Tyler. It all happened 7 years ago. Once Melody was babysitting him, she looked aside for a moment and when she turned back he saw Tyler playing on the street. She saw a car coming and how Tyler got hit by a car. When we got back home, there were police cars, ambulance everywhere. Melody hadn't let go of Tyler, she was covered with his blood and Tyler was dead. After that she changed. She sold the apartment she had, and bought that one. She always blamed herself in the accident. She changed from a social and popular girl to someone who avoided being with people. Doctors couldn't tell, why her OCD developed, but it happened. She didn't want to have anything or anyone around her. She avoided this house and always wanted us to come to her place. She wasn't anymore the Melody we raised." She sighed and tears came back to her eyes. Mac and Stella stood up, "Thank you Mrs. Bianchi you were a lot of help. We can show ourselves out."

When they were in the car Stella sighed, "Poor woman, lose two children in one decade."

"Yeah, let's go back to the lab, maybe Danny and Sheldon, got more information from her co-workers."

* * *

Central park was a beautiful place, birds were singing, children were floating their toy boats, people were jogging or just walking and talking to each other. It was weird to walk next to Flack, Lindsay thought. Usually when she walked with a guy who was so tall, she would have felt strange, but with Flack it was all right.

"Uncle Don, can I go to that playground," April wanted to leave those two alone.

"Of course, but stay near so I could see you and don't talk with strangers."

"Okay, uncle."

When April ran away, Lindsay looked at Flack, "So tell me, what's with Uncle Doe?"

He sat on a nearby bench, "Well, when April was 4 years old, I and her dad, who is a lawyer, were talking about one case, where I caught John Doe. He was a serial killer, yet a rather intelligent and clever one. And April thought that we were talking about me, and she started to call me uncle Doe, years later she understood who John Doe was, but for some reason, she still likes to call me that." Lindsay smiled, everything, these two did or said showed, how much they loved each other. She suddenly saw April running towards them, "Uncle Don, Uncle Don," she took a breath, "Could you buy me a red balloon? Red reminds me of Christmas."

"Yeah, ok," Flack took few bucks from his pockets and gave those to April, "get yourself an ice cream too."

"Lindsay what does red remind you?"

"Red always reminds me of Rolling Stone's logo."

"What about you, Uncle Don?" Flack closed his eyes to think what red reminded him, and first thought that came up, was Melody's body. Blood was everywhere and he saw her open eyes. Even there he saw blood. He shook his head, " Umm…red reminds me always your grandmother's red tea pot, yeah, now go on and get that balloon or I want my money back." April was little disappointed, she had hoped for something more extravagant. When she ran to the balloon seller, Lindsay glanced at Don, "I know what red reminds you."

"You do? Of course you do, I just said what it reminds me"

"No, it reminds you blood."

"How do you know?"

"Because I saw your face," Flack frowned; Lindsay took his hand, strangely it fit perfectly, but Flack didn't notice that, "When she asked what red reminds me, I saw Melody lying in her blood. I don't want to talk about it. Okay."

"I understand. Let's talk about something else. Now, you are 29 years old, right, and your sister is two years younger, so then 27. And April is 9 years old. Your sister had her when she was 18? Quite young."

"You are right. When she was seventeen she started dating Patrick Douglas, our childhood friend, who was year older than I am. In the middle of her senior year she got pregnant. I'm her older brother and you know how most high-school relationships end up, so I had a little chat with Patrick, but luckily he is a decent guy and had already planned to marry her, even before Camille was pregnant with April. Now they're happily married and beside April they have a three year old son Sean."

"Tell me about your childhood friends, you have mentioned them today for at least three times. You seem to be really close with them."

"Camille and I had four friends and we all lived on the same street. You can imagine how much trouble can six kids, who are about the same age, cause. There were two boys: Patrick, April's father, and Colin, he was my best friend in high school, and two girls: Melody and Lauren. Patrick was the head of our gang, he was older and much bigger than us, and others were his followers. Patrick and Colin were those two with whom we drank together for first time; I told you about it, if my grandpa had kept our secret, we all would have had a big trouble. Colin's dad, just like mine was a policeofficer and Patrick's father was a well-known lawyer. When we all went to high school, we all sort of split into couples, Colin and Lauren, Melody and I, and of course Patrick and Camille."

"What has happened to them all?"

"Patrick and Camille are married, as I told you, Patrick works in the law firm McLeod, Saunders and Douglas. He continued his family's tradition and so did I, Camille opened a book store in Manhattan. I think you have been there," Lindsay nodded, "Colin is a businessman, he has been travelling around and lived for three years in Boston, but two months ago he moved back to New York, but we both have been too busy to meet." He fell into silence, Monroe looked at him, he suddenly seemed much older and weathered, " But what happened to Lauren?"

"Lauren died. She was 20. She had a cancer."

"Oh, I'm sorry, poor girl. The girls of your group have been unlucky. I'm sorry, Flack."

"Yeah," but he saw April running towards him and he smiled. April came with a balloon; she had finished her ice cream, "Uncle Don, you promised that we would go to movies today?"

"Yes, I remember, so what to you want to see?"

"There is one I really want to see, "Flushed away.""

"What's that about?"

"I'm not sure, but Hugh Jackman is gibing his voice to one of the characters, he is so cute."

"Who?" April looked at him as he was crazy.

"You really don't know?"

"No."

"Oh, Uncle Don, you are so old! " she ran away. Lindsay stared at Flack, Don didn't understand anything, "What?"

"You really don't know, who is Hugh Jackman?"

"No!" Lindsay laughed.

"Oh, when was the last time you went to the movies? You don't know one of the best actors in Hollywood. I think half of the women have a crush on him."

"No, I remember the times when girls had crushes on Nicolas Cage, John Travolta and Johnny Depp."

"Oh, we still have crushes on them, but you can never have too many good-looking actors," then she smiled, "But April is right, you are so old." Then she took off after April.

"Women"

* * *

Mac and Stella stepped out from the elevator; Danny and Sheldon were walking towards them.

"Hey, Danny!" Stella shouted, devilish smile on her face.

"Stella! Shush!" Danny and Sheldon grabbed their head.

"Oh, still got hangover?"

"Yeah, you can see it very well"

"That's good! Next time you are drinking you'll remember that you've got to come to work the next day!" Stella said that a little louder than she should.

"Stella, why are you doing this? We have never and I mean never been mean, well not especially mean with you," Danny and Hawkes looked at her innocently and still holding their heads.

"Because Flack isn't here, and he certainly would use that opportunity. And now I'm doing his job."

"Ok, stop tormenting them. Did you get anything useful from her co-workers?"

"Well, she didn't have any enemies, as they know. She was always a perfect worker. Though, they said that she was always really friendly and all that, but she preferred to be alone. Therefore her co-workers don't know much about her personal life. Everybody respected her too much and didn't ask why she was like that. "

"Her mom said the same vary thing," Stella agreed.

"Anyway, no boyfriend, she was a workaholic; she had two close friends they knew about: Patrick Douglas, that's Flack's brother-in-law, and Colin Macbert, he is also Flack's friend." Sheldon looked from his notes.

"So first we must ask Flack about them, before we go and question them, I think Flack should do that at least at first."

"You are right," Danny nodded.

* * *

When Flack was buying them a hot dog, April cornered Lindsay, "I'm so glad you're dating my uncle, all the other women he dated were two legged goofballs. My mom said that they have an intelligence of a doorknob."

"I'm not dating your uncle. We are just friends and co-workers."

"Don't you like him?" April was bit disappointed, but if Lindsay had looked closer, she would have seen that sparkle that meant that she won't stop until Flack and Lindsay are dating, married and have 3 children.

"No, I do like him, he is a great friend, "The little girl confused her, what was she supposed to say. April looked at her and kept the eye contact.

"But why not to date him then? Don't you like him enough for that? I think you do!" Lindsay couldn't answer her, because Flack was coming back with their meals.

"So, you two, eat up your lunch and when you're done, we are sending Linds to her home."

"Okay, Uncle Don." When they started walking towards Lindsay's house, Monroe was quiet, April's words made her think about their friendship and what did she really felt for Flack. Did she really like him that way? Probably April was just bit manipulative. She suddenly noticed that they were already at her place.

"It was really nice to meet you April."

"It was nice to meet you too, Lindsay. I hope we'll start to meet more often," she winked to Lindsay. Flack saw that, but didn't understand what it meant.

"See you at work tomorrow, Flack."

"Yeah, Linds, have a nice night. I hope you get more sleep."

"You too, bye."

When Lindsay had closed the door, April and Flack started to walk towards the subway.

"I like her, uncle Doe."

"Yeah, really?" Flack grabbed gently her neck from the back.

"Yeah, she communicates with me on the same level."

"What was This supposed to mean? All others do too."

"No, uncle Doe, all your girlfriends are talking to me as if I was still 3-year-old, but I actually guess it is because of their limited vocabulary, but Lindsay treats me as a big girl, only you do that too."

"I see." They walked in silence.

"Uncle Don, why won't you date her?"

"April, we are just friends and co-workers."

"Really?"

"Really"

"Yeah right." April said that and took off; Flack waited for a second and ran after her.


	6. old acquaintances

_A/N I'm sorry it took me so long to update, I started university this year, and I have been very buisy latley, but thank god I finished the next chapter now, here it is and I hope you enjoy it._

* * *

Mac browsed papers on his desk. When did his desk got into such a mess? How had he been able to find anything before that, while he was staring at the table angrily, someone knocked. 

"Hey Mac, you wanted to see me?" Flack was standing in the doorway and trying to understand, why Mac had been so upset.

"Yes, come in, I have a few questions," Flack stepped into the room and hesitated before sat down on the chair opposite to Mac, "Feeling any…" He couldn't finish his question, when Flack interrupted him, "You are afraid to ask how I am doing! Isn't it pretty obvious without asking?" He suddenly felt angry, he hated when people asked such things. How could you ever feel better after you lose someone?

"Okay, I'm sorry, but I want to ask if that time with Lindsay had any effect on how you see the things now?" Flack gave a puzzled look. It was such a strange question to be asked, he got even angrier, "Should I check my apartment for cameras and bugs?"

Mac seemed bit disappointed, but gave a weak smile, "Flack, you are Danny's friend, so of course you should check your apartment for bugs and cameras."

"Thanks for the warning, so let's get down to the business, what did you want to know?"

"Yes, sorry about that, can you tell me everything you know about Patrick Douglas and Colin MacBert?"

"Patrick is my brother-in-law. He is my friend and we have known each other for over 20 years now, he works as a lawyer. Colin is also my friend, he's a businessman, his old man was a cop, too, but Colin didn't want go in his fathers footsteps like me and Pat. Those two are fine fellows if I say so myself. From Sunday to Wednesday, Pat has a firm alibi - my sister and his co-workers. And Colin has been in Paris for two weeks, he comes back on Monday."

"So you have asked already?"

"Of course, when I told them, I knew I had to ask them that. They are saying the same thing as her mother and co-workers; she didn't have any enemies or a boyfriend, to be honest then I have understood that she had been very lonely…" Flack felt guilty and he tried not to cry. He felt that if he had been there for her, maybe she would still be here.

Mac put his hands together on the desk, "I know this is a stupid question, but there could be another aspect of her life we need to study further… and… well do You have any enemies?"

"I knew you were going to ask that and of course I have enemies. I'm a cop, maybe you have noticed, and I think the list of people, who hate me or at least would like to pay me back, might be bit taller than the Statue of Liberty,"

Mac frowned, "Thank god, that the files have been put into the computer. So I'll have one of the lab techs to do the job." He looked through some of the papers that he pulled out of the huge pile he had stared before, "Mary's the only one, who hasn't got a case at the moment, you know Mary?"

"She is the one who Danny promised to lock into the toilet?"

"Unfortunately, yes,"

"Then I know her, can I go now?"

"Yes of course,and Flack, keep Danny away from her" When Flack left Mac started again browsing the papers, "I don't understand, where I put it?"

* * *

Lindsay walked into the department, it was dark there and she barely saw where she was going. She finally found Flack, he was in the other end of the room, leaning against a windowsill and drinking, Lindsay looked once more, to be sure, yes, luckily it was coffee. 

"Detective Donald Flack Junior, are you drinking coffee?" Flack looked up and sighed, "Yes."

"You don't like department's coffee, sorry, I meant you hate this coffee," that wasn't a question, it was a statement

"I didn't have any time to come up there," he put the cup on the windowsill, and crossed his hand on chest, "What are you doing here, do you have anything smart to say or your mother sent you,"

"You're a smartass, you know that?"

"Yeah, people have told me that before, so how can I help Your Highness this time?"

"This time you can't help me, I can help you," she handed him some files, "Mary couldn't come, so I took the liberty to bring you these," She looked Flacks face that didn't change, "Only five of those two hundred you have put away have been released by now."

"Thanks," he took the files, "Was there anything else?"

"Yeah, Mac invites everyone from the team to a dinner at Sullivan's, can you come?"

"Yeah I think so."

"Good, I'll leave you to your job then, see you at Sullivan's."

"Yeah," but he was already busy looking through the files he had just got and yelled, "Thomas, McNeil, Stevenson, Davis and Nixon. Come here." When all five sergeants were in front of his desk he gave them all file, "Bring in Julio Estaves, Nigel Carrington, Victor Mast, Daniel Over and John Smith."

* * *

Flack stepped into the first interrogation room; Julio Estaves was waiting for him, 

"Julio Estaves,"

"Detective Flack, should I be flattered that you wanted to see me again and so soon; I missed you too, but I hoped I wouldn't see you face again."

"Don't worry, you are not the only one who thinks that way,"

"So why did you want to see me?"

"Oh nothing special, I just wanted to know, where you from Sunday …let's say from 6 pm till Wednesday midnight?" Estaves frowned, "Sunday evening I was with my wife."

"Poor woman, how did you trick someone into marrying you, oh well, congratulations."

"Yeah, yeah. I have been working every day and same goes for Monday, Tuesday and wednesday. If you don't believe me, ask my boss. I believe you already know where I work."

"You weren't alone?"

"Nope, always with somebody,"

"Alright, if I need anything I know where to find you." When he closed the interrogation room door, he looked at seg. Thomas, "Check his alibis, alright," he gave him the notes he had made. He stepped into the second interrogation room.

"Carrington," he said pleasantly, Flack knew exactly how that kind of a tone would affect Nigel. "Oh god, what now? Believe me, I've been a good boy," Carrington sighted.

"Don't worry, I have just few questions for you, but I must say that I don't believe the 'good boy' part"

Carrington grinned: "OK, shoot it."

"Where were you on Sunday from 6pm till Wednesday midnight?"

"Oh goodness, I knew I should have listened to my mother," Carrington squealed.

"And what did your mother tell you?" Flack smiled, Carrington had always amused him. He had arrested him about 7 years ago, and he had always been a slimy weasel; and he still was. He even looked like a weasel. Carrington was a mommy's boy and he never moved out from his parents' home. Flack doubted Nigel had ever been close to another woman besides his mother.

"She told me that I should move to Miami."

"They also have CSI's in there,"

"Fuck." Flack smiled.

"And I know their leader, but back to my topic, now tell me where were you?"

"I was with my mother." That sentence didn't surprise Don, but he enjoyed all of that, "All four days?" He asked surprisingly.

"Yes!"

"Ok, I just needed to ask, but if I need anything else, I know where to find you." He stepped out from the interrogation room, and handed McNeil the notes he had made, "Check his alibi."

He stepped back to the first room; there he was - Victor Mast, Big guy from a motorcyclists' gang.

"Mast,"

"Flack, what I can do for you." Mast was one of those criminals, who he respected, a little, but he did, he had arrested Mast, when he was just an ordinary cop. Mast had destroyed some private property, and Flack understand why had done it - his mother had been murdered, and he just overboiled in a bar after several drinks, of course Don didn't approve that, but he understood the reason.

"I have one question."

"Yes,"

"Where were you from Sunday 6pm till Wednesday midnight?"

"On Sunday evening I was drinking with my friends,"

"With whom?"

"Matt Change and Diane Worl,"

"Ok, go on."

"On Monday I was in Grambely."

"Drinking?"

"No I work in that Bar. After my shift I went home, I live with my sister, you can ask her. Tuesday was the same and on Wednesday, I was again with Matt and Diana for the whole day. But why do you ask. Is that about the girl, who was killed and at the crime scene there was a message to you?"

"How the hell to you know about that?" Flack spit out. No one outside the department knew about the threat.

"You are forgetting that Grambely is the place, where most of the cops come, and I know what is going on here. I was wondering when you come after me."

"Ok, I know that, but if I have more questions, then I know where to find you."

"Yeah, yeah, come sometimes to Grambely and bring your little lady."

"I don't have one."

"I have heard other things, but … ok that's all I guess?"

"Yeah," Saying that, he walked out, he gave Stevenson a piece of paper, "Check his alibi."

Now Flack went to the second room, again, it seemed funny, but as Flack was almost angry he didn't think about that. In the second room was Daniel Over, he was resting behind the desk, on finest tailor-made suite, and smug smile, "So Flack you're a still a cop."

"So Over, you're still a rich son of a bitch?"

"I am flattered."

"That was meant as an insult, how did you get out from the prison, I put you behind bars for five years, it has been three? Let me guess, your fathers money?"

"No, I impressed them with good behavior."

"Yeah, I really believe that." Sarcasm was tripping from every word.

"I don't care whether you believe me or not, but what to you want from me?"

"Where were you from Sunday 6pm till Wednesday midnight?"

"Oh you got to be kidding me,"

"Answer the damn question."

"You don't need to yell."

"I wasn't yelling, I just gave you an order."

"Okay, Okay, I was on the Caribbean cruise."

"With whom?"

"My fiancé,"

"What's her name?"

"Why do you ask? Want her to yourself?" Flack hated guys like that, too arrogant for they're own good, "No I just want her to conform your alibi."

"Chesdany Kennedy."

"Thank you," he rose from the desk, before he stepped out of the room, he turned back, "You know, I will nail your ass again, I don't know when or where, but if you even think about crossing the road at the wrong place, I will be there and put you back to jail. And it will go on until then, when your daddy's money is gone." When he closed the door, he heard Over mutter something, he thought he could understand words like "an asshole" and "son of a bitch", but Flack decide to let it past him, he handed Davis the paper, "You know what to do?"

"Yes, sir,"

Flack stepped towards the first room, again, John Smith was waiting there, he was over 60, Flack put him behind bars 6 years ago for a minor theft. Smith had always reminded Don someone and because of that, they had a little game.

"Hello Hannibal!" Smith started to laugh, strangely Flack was on of those cops who he had respect for, he didn't know why, but that he had, "Hey, Faceman, did you get Murdock out from the hospital?"

"Yeah, did you drug B.A.?"

"Of course, I love when my plan comes together. So Flack what to you want from me?"

"I have a question for you."

"I'm listening."

"Where were you from Sunday 6pm till Wednesday midnight?"

"On Sunday evening I was with my daughter and her family. On Monday I was working in garage fixing cars, my boss can confirm that, in the evening I was in my apartment above the garage, drinking with my boss. Tuesday the same, and on Wednesday I was with my son's family. That's it."

"What's your boss's name?"

"Nicholas Cramers."

"Thanks." Flack put it all in the paper, "I hope you don't shoplift anymore."

"No, of course not, I have better things to do now."

"Good, now when I have more questions, I know where to find you."

He stepped out and gave Nixon the paper but before he could say anything Nixon interrupted, "I know what to do sir,"

"Good." Flack was exhausted, he wanted that all would be over; that he could tell Sophia that he had caught the murderer. He sat and closed his eyes. Everything was wrong; Don's world was turned upside down. Hour later all five sergeants had got back and confirmed every suspect's alibi. He hit his fist to his desk, everything was so unfair.

* * *

At 8pm he stepped to Sullivan's, he didn't find his friends from their usual table, in the back corner, but in front of the stage. 

"Hey guys!"

"Hey," the four said in union.

"What's, going on? Why are we sitting here? Where's Mac?"

"It's all a surprise." Danny smiled mischievously. Flack frowned, when Messer had that face on, it always meant trouble. He started to say something, when his eyes turned to the stage, instead of saying anything his moth fell open. All four CSI's looked at him, "You got to be kidding me."

"No it's true what you see." Hawkes smiled with satisfaction. Mac had stepped to the stage, with his band.

"Who found out about this?" Flack was still little surprised.

"I did." Lindsay drank from her bear.

"When?"

"Remember when you, Stella and Sheldon had the new American playboy case, and me and Danny had the glue guy case."

"Yes."

"Then Mac helped me processing the guitars, I saw that he held them like he knew what he was doing. So I started investigate, he was always busy on Wednesdays evening, I thought there could be three possibilities: shrink, yoga or music. I took music because his not yoga or shrink guy."

"But today is not Wednesday." Now Flack was confused.

"That's my fault, his up there." Stella smiled

"How's so?"

"He lost a bet to me."

"What bet?" Danny got interested, he hadn't heard about that so far.

"We made a bet that I find a paper he had replaced, if I found it he must play here tonight with his band, if I did then I make a supper for him."

"So where the paper was?" Sheldon smirked.

"He gave it to me last night, it was on my desk." the entire table started to laugh,

"I think he will get his revenge, you know that?" Danny threw some nuts in his mouth. Mac had stepped in front of the microphone, "I know that some of you are use to see us playing in other bar, but tonight we are here, because my friend request. We all had a ruff week, so the next half an hour is delicate to my friends." The team had long time had such a good time like, they had a next half an hour. They had their second beer when Mac joined their table.

"So Flack, how interrogation went today?"

"All of them had alibis."

"Goddamn," Danny swore.

"Yeah," Lindsay agreed and took another swing from the bottle.

* * *

Three beers and a supper latter, they had talked everything and nothing, in some moment they started talking about James Bond. 

"So which Bond, you liked the most?" Stella asked.

"I like, Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan." Flack played with the brochure on the table.

"I like Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan." Lindsay smiled little drunken smile.

"I agreeing with Flack," Mac bulled the nut plate from Danny.

"I like Roger Moore." Danny tried to get the plate back from Mac.

"I agree with Messer." Sheldon scratch his head.

"You like Moore." Stella and Lindsay burst out in union.

"Yeah so?" Sheldon took handful of nuts from Mac.

"Moore didn't suit for Bond?"

"Why not?"

"He wasn't Bond that's all." Stella glared Danny who had asked last question.

"I just don't like Moore." Lindsay played with her hair.

"But what to you think about Daniel Craig?"

"He was the worst Bond ever." Stella watched how Danny leaned over Hawkes to get nuts from Mac.

"Yeah, I agree with Stella. Bond is known as a gentleman, but Craig wasn't a gentleman at all." so it went on for a quarter an hour, then Lindsay rose.

"I'm going home."

"I send you, I live the same area." Flack rose also.

"Me, Sheldon and Stella stay for a while." Mac had an almost eaten all the nuts, and gave the plate Hawkes. Flack smiled, Mac and Sheldon where enjoining every moment of that evening, he helped Lindsay her jacked on and went to call a cab. When Lindsay walked out from the pub, Flack had opened the door. "After you madam."

"Thank you, my good sir."

"Where to?" the cab driver asked when both of them were comfortable at the back seat. Flack told him Lindsay's address, they fell in silent. Lindsay looked out from the window, it all seemed so quiet, not a person around, New York was so different at night then a day, and the sky was as foggy as at day. One thing what she missed about Montana were the stars, in NY she hadn't seen them. Flack looked at her; she was so quiet, "A penny for your thoughts."

"A penny isn't enough," she said when the cab stopped in front of her apartment building.

"How's so?"

"I have so many thoughts that you couldn't pay for them." Flack laughed, everything about Lindsay was so beautiful, even the simplest things seemed so wonderful around her. "For your thoughts I could pay as much as asked."

"You are silly you know that."

"Yeah I heard that before, but now I let you go to sleep, good night Lindsay."

"Good Night Don," Flack looked as she disappeared behind the door then he sat back in the cab and rode home.

* * *

In the other side of the town a shadow was following woman. He smiled to himself everything had been so perfect, Flack would ever think out how he was, he mused lighting a cigarette. Don will suffer, like he had. He will kill every woman who Flack had seriously dated, and the last one, the most important one; he will kill in front of Flack, he will enjoy seeing despair in Flacks eyes. And then he going to kill Flack himself. He took last gasp from the cigarette, he had a job to do; one pretty lady was waiting him.

* * *

_A/N Here you go. I hope none is mad at me for the things I said about Roger Moore and Daniel Craig. But in my country they are showing all the Bond's again and when I was writhing it they show those where Moore was Bond and in my opinion he is not a good one. _

_Reviews make my hart sing._


	7. Like an old Married couple

Following week didn't give any solution to the case - no new evidence, and still no suspects. Flack felt guilty, he felt that he hadn't worked hard enough. When he went to Melody's funeral, he didn't have courage to look into Sophia's eyes, but there was no need for that, because Sophia understood it anyway, "Donny, don't worry. Everything will unravel somehow." That was supposed to make him feel better, but everything was still a mess; nothing was like it should be. There was something he hadn't noticed, but what was it?

Lindsay was bored; she didn't have any cases, any evidence to proceed. So she sat on a couch in the break room and in TV was "Inside the Actor's studio," with Hugh Jackman, Lindsay smiled, she was sure that April was watching that. She had a disturbing feeling - it was quiet, too quiet for her liking. She knew that Stella and Sheldon were on crime scene, And Mac was in his office, but she hadn't seen Danny and Don for a while. She didn't like that at all. This didn't mean anything good. She was still watching TV, but someone came in and she looked behind.

For a second she was just staring, mouth wide open, then she burst out laughing she couldn't stop in few second she was rolling on a couch holding her stomach.

"Very funny, Monroe." Flack stepped into the room, covered with pink colour. One drop fell down his nose. Lindsay was barely able to ask, "What happened to you?" and then started laughing again. Flack stepped by the window, then turned around,

"What happened? What happened? Messer, that's what happened."

"How did he do it?"

"I was in department's toilet, when I stepped out from the cabin. There wasn't anyone in the toilet, before I went in there were at least five guys, when I came out there were no-one, it didn't feel strange. I washed my hands and wanted to go out. The door seemed jammed, I didn't suspect anything, but when I pushed it, a bucket of pink color fell down. I think all the departments' cops where out there, I think they had the times of their lives."

"Your captain didn't do anything about it?"

"He was standing there and laughing louder than anyone else, I saw Danny leave and came to find him, but he is hiding." Lindsay bursted out laughing and said silently "Boys."

"I don't understand what is so funny?" he took a step closer to Lindsay.

"It's that you are so cute." She looked at him, and couldn't stop laughing.

"Cute?" Don raised his eyebrows; he stepped closer, took Lindsay's chin between his fingers, and kissed her. That stopped Lindsay's laugh and shocked her. Flack pulled away, "Would cute guy do something like that?" Lindsay looked at his eyes; Don Flack had just kissed her. She couldn't say anything because the break room door opened again and Danny stepped in. Lindsay hoped that he hadn't seen anything, but that was impossible because all the rooms in the lab were from glass. But if he did see anything he didn't show it out. He looked at Flack, "Don, I knew that pink was your color." Flack stared him for a second, "Hey Danny, what would you like have written on your tombstone?"

"He was one crazy, handsome son of a bitch." Danny grinned when he said that.

"Good, now I know what to tell them tomorrow. If I don't have any spare clothes in my locker, you will be dead…twice"

He marched out of the room to the locker-room. On his way down, he saw Mary coming out from one of the labs. She seemed puzzled, but quickly understood what was going on, "Hey Flack, if you wanted some tips in fashion, I would have given you some. But I got to admit, pink suits you very well."

Danny and Lindsay heard some noise and they could swear that it seemed as if someone was locked up in cupboard. A couple of seconds later they heard Flack yelling something.

"What do you think, did it help little, he has been so depressed lately?" Danny scratched his forehead.

"Yeah, I think so. Believe me, after he has changed his clothes, he will sit down behind his desk, and starts blotting an evil plan against you."

"Yeah I know, but that's the best part,"

"What is?"

"The waiting, you know that something is going to hit you, but you don't know what, or when."

"You both are crazy."

"Yeah. But actually I didn't come here to tease Flack, Montana. Sheldon and Stella have a big case and they asked us to process some evidence, what is your preference - sperm or gun?"

"I think I take the gun; I have had enough to do with sperm in one month."

"OK, the gun is waiting you in the lab." Lindsay nodded and took off to the gun lab.

* * *

Lindsay had been working less than an hour, when Adam came in.

"Hey, Lindsay! Do you want to take part in a bet?" he yelled at the doorway, Lindsay lifted her head.

"Yeah, but why to you yell from the door?"

"Sorry," he stepped into the lab.

"So what's the bet about?"

"When will Flack have his revenge on Danny?" Lindsay smirked she should have known, when CSI's and homicide detectives, needed something fun or amusing they always put a bet on something and their favourite one was on Danny's and Flack's feud.

"Ok give me the results what others offered."

"Maka put it on two months, Mac five moths, Mary three and half a month, Stella a month, Sheldon in three weeks, Sid four months and I on a week." Lindsay's smirk grew wider, it seemed like Adam didn't know Flack at all, detective had to plan every detail of his revenge, and with a week he couldn't to anything.

"Right, give me statistics."

"Does last four times count?" Lindsay raised her eyebrow, how long had those two guys been up to those tricks, she remembered what Flack had told her about those practical jokes, that they had done those for years.

"Ok, give me the last four."

"Six months, three months, three weeks and a month," Adam was smiling, he had remembered every time since he started working in the lab 3 years ago, Danny had almost the same statistics; those jokes were the breath of fresh air every time they happened.

"I put my money on two moths and a half. How much is in the bet?"

"20 bucks."

"Nice, and how many people you hope to get in the bet?" she was searching the money from her back.

"If I have any luck, fifteen or more."

"Keep it up Adam, I want that money."

"We all do, we all do," Lindsay heard him mutter, when he walked out from the lab, she smiled and shook her head.

* * *

Flack had taken his normal position, leaning against the doorframe, and waited till the CSI's would get there. When Lindsay stepped out from the car, she spotted him right away, she felt again his lips, the taste, the smell, everything.

"Hey Montana, where did you go?" that sentence brought her out from the thoughts.

"What?"

"I lost you somewhere, want to share?" Danny took out both of their kits.

"Nothing important lets go."

Lindsay looked coyly at Flack and he saw that, but he quickly looked somewhere else.

"So, Don, I see you have got all the paint off." Danny smirked when he stepped next to him.

"And I can see that you have your head still in your ass."

"Well, I thank you."

"No problem," Lindsay's cough, interrupted their little teasing, both men turned to her with frowns on their faces.

"You know sometimes it's seems like I'm with an old married couple!"

"What!" They both said angrily.

"Nothing, just observation. Now guys didn't we have a case to solve?" Flack and Danny exchanged looks, "We kill her later," they said silently together, Lindsay just rolled her eyes.

"So, tell us about the case."

"Mrs. Keller went looking for her cat, but instead found a naked woman's body from one empty rental apartment, woman is against the wall, face against it."

"So the face isn't visible." Lindsay asked. She suddenly seemed worried, it reminded her something…

"Yeah." it seemed that the boys didn't understand what she had. "The apartment," Flack continued, "Has been out for a rent nearly a year now, it has one room, and the rental fee for it is too high. And before you go there I should mention that the crime scene is vandalized." When they reached to the apartment they saw that Flack was right. The crime scene was a mess. "I take the body." Lindsay and Danny had said at the same time. He turned to face each other.

"Oh boy, not that crap again." Flack rubbed his eyes.

"I'll take the body."

"No, I'll take the body."

"I'll take the body."

"Hell Montana, I'll take the body.

"Hey!" two angry faces turned towards Flack, "Are we back at the kindergarten?"

"You are right," Danny turned back to Lindsay, "We solve this in a mature way. We play scissors, rock, and paper."

"You're on, two out of three." Lindsay put her fist ready. Flack sighed deeply, "Yeah, really mature." He left them and went to talk with Mrs. Keller two apartments down. Seg. Davies was with her.

"Mrs. Keller, I'm detective Flack from the homicide." Woman in her fifties nodded her head, "Can you tell me about what happened today."

"I went grocery shopping; when I came home I left the door opened, because my arms were full. Bella ran out, I went to find her. I saw the 145 door slightly opened, I thought maybe the real estate agent was there and Bella had sneaked into there, when I stepped into the apartment I saw that body, it was awful." Don nodded; he couldn't say anything, but instead he started sneezing and coughing. He knew what was going to happen next.

And he was right, orange cat jumped on his lap. Flack liked cats - he didn't have anything against them- except he was allergic to them. Few straps of fur didn't have affect on him, but that cat against his face had a really bad effect on him. He started coughing more and more, but luckily Mrs. Keller understood that and took Bella from him and carried her to another room. "Thank you." Flack gasped few times for air.

"No problem."

"Where did you find Bella?"

"Ms. Sinclare had her. Apparently Bella had walked into her apartment when she had just opened the door." Flack looked at Davies, "Did you talk to Ms. Sinclare?"

"Yes, she confirms Mrs. Keller's story."

"Last question and we leave you alone. Have you seen or heard anything strange around here?"

"No, everything is as usual."

"Thank you." Flack looked the list of neighbors who hadn't been interviewed yet, and went after them.

* * *

In the mean time Danny, who had won the scissors, paper, rock, was examining the body.

"I tell you one thing, Montana; this here is a secondary crime scene."

"Why do you say that?" Lindsay put her camera down and went to take closer look at the body.

"Because she has two stab wounds in her back and there's no blood in the apartment. And the wounds have been cleaned." Lindsay nodded, she hated these kinds of murders, you never knew what kind of a sicko was doing that. She took the camera out and started processing the crime scene again. Danny dusted the ropes before he cut the woman down, as he expected no prints were to be found. He cut her down and turned around, he gasped for air, that wasn't possible.

"Danny, what's wrong?" Lindsay stepped next to Danny.

"That body what's wrong."

"You knew her?"

"Yeah, that's Olivia Brand, Don dated her five years ago."

He couldn't say anything more because Flack footsteps were coming from the hall.

"Call Mac, I try to stop Flack coming in here."

"Don't get killed." Lindsay dialed Mac's number.

"Funny, Montana, funny." He murmured under his breath and stepped in front of the door just a moment before Flack would have stepped into the apartment. He looked at Danny and flapped his notebook, "No-one didn't hear or see anything, so typical." He tried to step into the apartment, but Danny was right in front of his way.

"Donny, what to you think we go and crab something to eat?"

"We have crime scene Danny, or have you forgotten it." Messer stepped in front of him again when Don tried to go past him. "Maybe you want to go back to the department, Montana and I can wrap this up here." Flack frowned, he didn't want to go back to the department; he wanted to see the crime scene again. "No Messer I don't want to go back to department, I don't want to go crab something to eat, I just want to go to the crime scene."

"You can't Donny." Something was terrible wrong, Danny had never stopped him from going to the crime scene, and at work his best friend never called him Donny.

"What the fuck is going on Danny?"

"Nothing, absolutely nothing." Flack buried his blue eyes into Danny's darker blue ones. At that moment Lindsay flipped her phone shut, "Mac is on his way."

"Danny!?" Messer sighted and stepped out of Don's way, when he had head to the body Lindsay stepped next to Danny, "Very smooth, you couldn't have think something better, "Hey do you want to crab something to eat, go back to department." You would have to have the brain in the size of a walnut, just like you do, to not suspect anything."

Danny only frowned at her.

"Holy shit." Flack's whisper made Lindsay step next to him and crab his hand. Young detective turned his blue eyes to her, "Its Olivia," the air around him was confusing, "I hated that bitch, now the only thing I feel is guilt; she was killed because of me."

"Flack…" Lindsay tried to talk to him, but he was so close to collapsing right there.

"I swear when I got the badge that I serve and protect the city and the people who live in it." He looked at the body again.

"Flack…" Lindsay tried again, but it was useless, he was too far.

"How could I serve and protect them when I even can't protect those who I love or once loved." Lindsay wanted to say something, but she was interrupted by Flack's phone. The phone brought him out of the haze where he had fallen; the caller's number wasn't shown. Flack frowned, usually he didn't take that kind of calls, but something told him to answer.

"Detective Flack."

"_Hello Flack,"_ the person at the other side of the phone used some kind of machine that changed his voice.

"Who is this?"

"_I give you two clues: Melody and Olivia."_

"It was you, asshole."

"_Of course what did you expec__t, Santa Claus?"_ Flack heard only his evil laughter.

"Why are you killing them?"

"_I left you a note, near Melody, don't__ you remember? Revenge is a bitch, like you always liked to say. To you bleed blue Flack?"_ Change of subject was a surprise to Flack.

"What?"

"_I asked you__: do you bleed blue. I have been always curious: those NYPD finest bleed blue, but I find it out myself soon, because when I kill you, I can have my answer. And I will kill you and I don't care how you feel about it, because I have a heart of stone." _The phone went dead; Flack looked at it as if it could attack him. He knew the last words very well because he had used that farce so many times. "It was him," he looked at Lindsay, Danny and Mac, who had arrived in the middle of the call.

"Goddamnit lets track it," Danny whispered.

"I don't know who it was, because it didn't show the number," he turned to Mac, "Could you ask Zack put a tracking device to my cell."

"Yes, yes of course," Mac nodded, "Don I know it's useless to ask, but are you sure you can handle this case, or to you want me to ask Maka."

"I'm quite sure that I can handle it, I want to get that bastard, no-one threats me and gets away with it."

"Alright, but remember, when you do something stupid I have to suspend you from the case, understand it."

"Absolutely."

"Now, serial killer lose, we have some people to interview. Do we know if anyone has announced her missing."

"Yes," Danny, "Her husband Peter Dail." He looked at Flack who nodded, Lindsay saw that look, she knew there had to be a long story between Flack, Dail, Danny and Olivia. But she decided that it wasn't the right time for that. "Okay, you and Flack go and talk to him. I take the real estate agent." He looked at Flack who flipped his notebook, "Her name is Terry Swan, from Kendell real estates." Mac nodded, "Maybe I go to the lab and take Stella or Hawkes with me, they finished the case they had. Lindsay, can you get the body taken to Sid for processing, I send Stella or Hawkes here to help you." Lindsay nodded and started looking evidences when all three guys had left the apartment.

* * *

_Another one, I have a nagging feeling that this chapter didn't come out as good as the other. Would you tell me your opinion._


	8. Old wounds heal hard

Danny looked at Flack, who was sitting in the driver's seat, "Are you sure you can do this?"

"Of course I can, Mac gave me this assignment."

"But Mac doesn't know about your history with Dail."

"No body else but you, me, Dail and Olivia knows about our history."

"I think you should tell Mac." Flack parked the car in front of Dail apartment house, "I think about it, now trop it. We have a husband who needs to know what happened to his wife." Danny rubbed his eyes, why life had to be such a goddamn hell? He knew exactly why Don had hated Olivia, and had hard feelings against Peter Dail; he had been there that day, had seen and heard everything. First thought what Danny had had, after he had tried save Flack from hart ache for seeing once again someone he once had loved dead, was that bitch deserved to die. But few minutes calming down, showed him that no one should die so horrible. Even if they had hurt his best friend, above all the one who had got hurt, had forgiven, or just moved on with his life. He stopped next to his partner who had already knocked on Dail's door. Few moments past before they heard locks opening and the man himself appeared on the door, "Flack, what you're doing here?"

"Hello to you to, Peter. I need to talk to you." Not a one muscle moved on his face.

"What if I don't want to talk to you?" Peter hovered over the door like lion who tried to protect his family.

Flack turned to Danny, "I should be the one, who says those words," who only struggled his shoulders. Don looked at Peter again, "That's a shame, because I wanted to talk about your wife."

"You found her?" he stepped in front of the door to let them in. "Yeah. You remember Danny Messer." Flack tried to draw little pit, he never liked to tell any man that his wife was dead.

"Yeah I remember him," he looked once at Danny and turned to Flack, "So where is she, when can I see her?"

"She is dead," Flack could not even look at the man. Danny did, he saw how all the color drained from his face. Peter wanted to say something, but he was interrupted by little voice; "Daddy, what's going on?" four and half a year old little girl was standing in the beginning of the hall. Don eyes traveled to her, she was a spitting image of Dail but she had her mother's eyes. Peter glanced once to Flack and then turned to his daughter. "Sweetie go back to your room, daddy needs to talk to those gentlemen, and then he is going to come to you."

"But daddy."

"No, buts Carla go to your room."

"Yes daddy." Little girl went towards to her room end of the hall. Dail didn't looked at Flack and Danny before his daughter was lost in it. "What happened?"

"We don't know exactly yet, her body is with our ME." Danny answered that question. He knew Flack needed sometime to concentrate on the questioning, god that was on hell of a day.

"When can I have her body?"

"In few days." Flack came out of the haze he had fallen in again, "Peter we have some questions for you. Can you answer them?" Dail looked at Flack, like seeing him for the first time. "Yeah I think so."

"When did Olivia disappear?"

"A week ago. When she went out with some friends, Brenda and Selma, you remember them" Flack nodded, "When she left them, she called and told me that she will be home in forty minutes. But she never came."

"Did she have any enemies?"

Peter smirked, "except you?"

"Funny, Dail, funny." But Flack smirked also, that remark, lightened the tension in the room. "Sorry, I had to say that. No she didn't have any enemies. I know its kind of a strange; consider that she is a therapist. She consulted ordinary people, with their everyday problems. All her clients loved her."

"So no enemies?"

"No." Flack pinched his root of his nose; everything was like Melody's case, "Did she have any feuds with neighbors?"

"No, they all loved her; I'm sorry Flack that I'm not any help."

"It's alright Peter; we do everything, what we can to find her killer." He looked at Danny, who nodded they started to go towards the door, when Peter stopped them, "Flack!"

"Yeah," Don looked at the man, "I'm sorry, I know it comes late, but I really am."

"It's ok, long forgotten."

When they sat to the car, Danny glanced at Don, he knew that everything wasn't right, but soon it would be. "I have a question." He said when Flack started the car and maneuvered into the New York traffic, "You always to." He didn't even look at his buddy.

"Don't even Colin and Patrick know what happened between you and Olivia?"

"No they don't, you right now are the only one."

"Okay." Sight what came from Danny, made Flack to think, he knew he had to tell Mac. And he knew that he had to talk someone else to.

* * *

Stella and Lindsay walked into the morgue, where Sid was already examining Olivia. 

"Hi Sid!"

"Hey girls," he looked at the body, then Lindsay and Stella, "So this is another one of Flacks?" both girls nodded.

"So tell us what's you got," Stella observed the body, once she knew her, Stella herself had introduced Olivia to Flack, but their friendship ended when she and Flack ended relationship, she even didn't know why Olivia, didn't want to meet her anymore, but that's life, everything changes. "She has been dead four days and been raped several times."

"Like Melody?" Lindsay held back the shiver from her voice.

"Yes, when she came in, I though she died to the stab wounds, look the first wound cuts her left lung and the second her heart." Monroe's and Bonasera's eyes followed his finger, "But I was wrong," girls exchanged glances, "You wrong?" came sarcastic respond

"Yeah, in closer examiner, I found out that she died like Melody."

"Cocaine overdose?"

"Yeah. And the killer used condom, no sperm and I don't know what was used to stab her, something very sharp."

"Thanks Sid."

"God, I want to know, who is that killer and why is he after Flack." Lindsay hit her fist against her balm.

"I know Lindsay, remember it's our job to find out." Lindsay scratched her nose and followed Stella out from the Morgue.

* * *

Mac stared furiously at Kendell real estates agency secretary, even his badge didn't help, Hawkes maintained a low profile and let Mac solve the problem, "What do you mean, that you can't let us meet Ms. Swan?" his voice was calm, but his eyes told a different story. 

"It means that you need appointment to see her." That was it to Mac.

"Look," he glanced girl's nametag, "Hermione, today was found a dead woman from the apartment which real estate agent is Ms. Swan, to you know what kind of a picture it's drawing to us, that you won't let us meet her." Sheldon stepped closer he knew Mac's last words had affect. "Just a moment I check with Ms. Swan." Mac flashed one of is rear smiles to Hawkes, few moments later Hermione finished the call, "She is seeing you now, third door in the left." Hawkes gave comforting smile to the girl and followed Mac. Taylor stepped into the office after he knocked; Terry Swan was standing in front of the window and looked at him and Hawkse.

"Terry Swan, I'm detective Mac Taylor and this is Dr Sheldon Hawkes from CSI."

"How can I help you gentlemen?"

"We have few questions for you." Hawkes stepped closer to the woman

"Yes."

"About the body, in one of your apartments."

"Yes of course in 145."

"Yes that's the one. Do you know this woman?" Mac showed the woman the picture what he had snapped before he left the crime scene. Swan looked closely, the face made her stomach turn, who could to something like that to a woman, "No I haven't never met her."

"To you know who the killer could have got into the apartment?" Hawkes stepped in.

"I don't have idea, there is only two set of keys, one set is always with me, in my bag when I visit the apartment or in my suitcase," she took her suitcase from the floor and the showed inside to Mac and Hawkes, they saw perfectly organized suitcase where were many set of keys, "And the other one is in my office safe," she opened that to and showed second set to CSI's, "Show I don't have a clue how they got into the apartment." Mac frowned, he had hoped that he could get some answers from the real estate agency, but he was wrong.

"Thank you Ms. Swan. And we apologize for wasting your time."

"That's no problem det. Taylor. I'm clad that I could have been a little help."

"Yeah, if you remember something give us a call." Hawkes handed her his card. "Good day." Two CSI's walked from the office and past the secretary who gave them furious smile.

"So what know?" Sheldon asked when they drove off.

"Nothing, we go back to the lab and look what the others got, and then go home, because it almost end of the shift and I don't want anybody to bull a double. Tomorrow morning you go and take 145 doors keyhole, and examine it I want to know everything about it."

"Got it."

* * *

Mac sat behind his desk and looked at his team, they all looked tired, but they all where there except on, Flack was missing, Don had talked to him and told everything about Olivia and him and then disappeared. Mac had called to Capt Grey and asked where Flack was because he didn't answer to his mobile and his home phone. Grey had told him that he had sent Flack home. Mac rubbed his tired eyes, maybe he was home and just didn't answer, who knows. 

"So tell me what to we got?"

"She died four days ago, she had been bind for all seven days, and one of them was in apartment 145. She had been raped several times like Melody, no sperm. She had been stabbed to lung and heart, but that didn't kill her, she died to cocaine overdose. She was drugged, that's why she didn't fight back." Sid shoved his hand throw his hair, he was somewhat glad that that Flack wasn't there to listen it, but Don already knew it all.

"Did you find something from the crime scene?" Mac turned to Stella and Lindsay

"Only her wallet nothing more."

"What did her husband say?" Danny massaged his temples. "Nothing important. That she didn't have any enemies, and everybody loved her."

"Real estate agent didn't help us either." After that Hawkes announcement everyone seemed lost.

"Goddamned I want to know where Flack is." Mac scratched his forehead.

"Why?" Lindsay looked sharply at him

"I have a warning to give him."

"Why?" Everybody shouted that question.

"Because he locked Mary into the lab cleaner's closet."

"Hey that was my idea." Danny frowned.

"Your idea was to lock her into the toilet."

"Oh yeah, I can to that other time."

"No ones locking Mary anywhere. God someone should have warned her not to teas Flack after Danny and Lindsay had had their fun." Mac himself was smirking like a kit on Christmas morning.

"OH yeah, I would have want to see Flack covert with Pink color." Stella rubbed her hands together.

"You can," Adam chuckled, "Because I have all it on tape. I make all of you a copy before Flack finds the original."

"Speaking of Flack, Danny could you go and check his apartment, I want to know if he's alright." Mac rose behind his desk.

"Right boss." Everyone left the office, Danny to Flack and the others to get copy's of pink Flack.

* * *

_I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, I have been very busy. But here it at last is. If you find mistakes, tell me please, becase my beta reader is also engaged, she could not check. I hope you enjoy it, becase I enjoy writing it._


	9. Past and comforting

The room was filled with Led Zeppelins rock, she was curled into the armchair, legs crooked under her, white wines glass on the table and book in hand. She closed the book in anger, after she had stared one freaking sentence for a half an hour. She didn't understand why life had to be so difficult, then small smile appeared on her face when she remembered what one little girl had told her, "Life is easy, but people tend to make it difficult." She closed her eyes, that day had started with fun and enjoinment but ended like total crap. She was worried about Flack, he didn't answer his phone and hadn't been home when Danny, who had a spear key, had gone to look for him. Lindsay was worried sick.

She was woken from her though by a loud knock on her door. Glance to the clock, told her that it was 10 pm, who the hell would be at her door that time. Behind the door stood on person she never expected to be there. He was cold sober, they all had thought that he had gone to drink him to blackout; they would have drank with him again, if he hadn't disappeared. But there he stood, Lindsay thought that he was more sober than his usual self. He seemed so different, the normally correct Flack was gone, instead there stood someone she had thought she never see, disoriented Don. He had lost his jacked and tie somewhere, his pants were wrinkled, one corner of his shirt hanged out from them, his hair was a mess, like he had shoved his hand throw them many times. And his eyes, the mischievous glint was gone and placed with self despise.

"Hey, Linds can I come in?"

"Sorry, of course, come." When Flack went past her, she had to sense his smell, she smelled his three usual scents, but there where two other, yet she could not put her finger on what they were. Lindsay locked the door and followed Don to the living room where he had disappeared. He was standing other side of the room and looked out from the window. She stopped; Flack had to start the conversation, because if she would start to push him about everything, he will close himself to his shell. Lindsay saw tension in his shoulder and neck muscles, too much had life put on his young shoulders.

"You know, I'm not going to apologize, about that kiss." She knew the issue was not that, but goddamn that man pissed her off, how he said that sentence, she never wanted apologize, yet the arrogant way of those words hurt her very much. Lindsay's anger would have lashed out, if Flacks next words wouldn't have stopped her. "I have wanted to do that since the first time when I saw you at the zoo, when Mac shooed me from the crime scene, I saw you standing behind the police tape, and one thought crossed my mind, "Oh my god, She is beautiful." When you came and introduced yourself, it hit me that you were Aidens replacement."

Lindsay wanted to yell at that point, she knew very well that because of being Aidens replacement, the lab didn't accept her on the start, she hadn't believed that in Flack, "and from that point I didn't want anything to do with you." But she was right again, "yet it changed in few months you attached somehow to me, and now here I am." Lindsay wanted to step closer to him, she couldn't. Everything in his body yelled, "Stay away."

She saw only one way, "I never asked your apologize." She saw how little tension drained from detectives shoulders. "When I stepped behind that tape first thing what I saw was how one tall homicide detective was sneezing off his handsome head. When I saw your eyes I wanted to drown in them. But when I introduced myself, you backed off like I had some kind of disease. So I made and extra effort to become your friend." Don back was still towards her, but something had changed in those past minutes. She crabbed his hand and dragged him to couch.

"Sit." Lindsay herself sat on the back of the couch and started rubbing Flack's back and shoulders.

"Now tell me what's troubles your mind?"

"Why to you think something troubles it. I think I said everything what I wanted." Lindsay rolled her eyes, "Yeah right. You came here, on the night when you have learned that one of your past lovers have been killed, just to say that you're not sorry for kissing me." She kept running her hands down his back and waited. Minutes passed, Monroe started worrying, that she may have pushed too much and Flack really had shut her off.

"You know, sometimes I think what am I doing here. What the Fuck, the world wants from me. I'm an old school cop, who have had been taught what's right and what's wrong. But now I don't even know how to separate them. Goddamned, before that son of a bitch, I knew what I am. But now, I don't even know if I am cop, victim or a target. And if I'm a target, then why. Goddamn it, what have I done to the world so bad, that some son of a bitch thinks it is cool; to come and kill every woman I have ever loved. Freaking asshole!" Lindsay frowned; she knew that Flack had a colorful vocabulary, but so colorful, never. "Sometimes I wish I had somebody, who just would hold me, bury her head into my necks curve and say, everything will be alright. For heaven shake, when did I become so depressing?"

He rose and looked at one point in the room, "I don't even have any idea, why did I even come here." When he had announced that he took of towards the door. Before he got to the door a strong hand crabbed his. If that had surprised him, the next thing did more. Two hands came around his waist and a head was placed on his chest, quiet words came from the beautiful mouth: "Let me hold you Don, let me tell you that everything will be alright." Young detective sighted and buried his head into Lindsay's hair. Few minutes past like this, then Monroe crabbed his hand again, "Come with me." She dragged him, into her bedroom.

"Take your clothes off and get into the bed," seeing Flack startled face, she grinned, "Don't look at me, big, bad, tough cop, like I was some rapper who is want in seven states because raping men. Take your cloths off and get into the bed, I come right back, and I promise, that there isn't going to happen anything tonight." Don only nodded; he took his clothes off, like Lindsay had told him and left only shorts and a wife beater and got under the covers. Few minutes later Lindsay came out of bathroom, wearing pajamas what stated; "Sweet and innocent", Flack smirked at seeing that.

"Oh, you think it's funny?" Don only chuckled, Lindsay sighted that was bad, Don hadn't given her some of his trademark bad-ass comments. "Now start talking, tell me what's on your mind. Tell me what happened between you, Olivia and that Peter guy." She whispered when she had made herself comfortable next to Flack, her head buried in his necks curve and hands around him. Don rubbed his eyes with his left hand, "That's a long story Linds."

"Using one of Messer's bad jokes, we have all night, so start talking." Flack closed his eyes, "Five years ago, Stella introduced me a beautiful woman, I had never seen someone so lovely, when she talked, I heard knowledge, when she laughed I heard music. Six months lather I asked her to marry me, she accepted. A month later she told me that she was pregnant. It was miracle, it was amazing. Three months later it all happened."

_Flashback_

"_Are you sure, Flack, that you left those files to Olivia's apartment?" Danny was in fool mood, Don had been certain that files what he need had been in his apartment, then at his parents home, and now they were here. _

"_No I'm not sure, but if their not here then their at my sister's place and that's our last chance."_

"_Are you sure, you didn't leave it in some bar, to Roy's, Sullivans's or etc?" Flack unlocked the door, "No I haven't gone to bars in three days?" he chuckle, Danny's face was pale from the surprise. "You really think I don't have anything better to do after work than sit in some kind of a Bar and drink myself to blackout?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_That's your life Messer; don't mix it up with mine." He walked into living room, "Oh there they are." He picked the files up from a cupboard and started to walk out when he heard some kind of a noise. He stopped listened again, Danny wanted to say something but Flack stopped him by showing to be quiet. There it was again. Don started to walk to the end of the apartment, he knew exactly what was down the corridor, but he didn't want to believe it. He reached to the bedroom door, what was half-open, his suspicions were confirmed. His fiancé and future childe mother was sleeping with is good friend. That moment everything fell into place in his mind. God damn, how could he have been such a fool? He wanted to get out of that place soon as he could, but he was already spotted, he started to walk towards the front door, he didn't make it far._

"_Don!" he didn't listen to that._

"_Don!" goddamned the door was just in front of him, few more steps and he was out of here._

"_You know that it is your own fault that it happened!" now that worked very well._

"_What?" he turned around, Danny stepped aside he knew how Flack could be when he was mad._

"_Yes your fault." Olivia was standing on living rooms doorway, Peter behind her, "You were always solving some case, you didn't think what I felt or feel about that. When I had romantic dinner prepared, you ran as soon as your cell ranged." Don rubbed his eyes, he had thought that Olivia understand how important his job was for him, he had thought, that he finally had found the right woman, but again he was wrong. Then it clicked into a spot. "You were cheating me, when I asked you marry me, that's why you hesitate," he saw the answer in their faces, "Why to I have the feeling, that the kid isn't mine? I want parental test. If that kid isn't mine, then I don't want to see you ever again." Flack walked out and Danny followed him._

_End of Flashback_

"That kid wasn't mine, the day I found that out, I never saw Peter and Olivia again, until today. It's strange how you can fell so much for one woman. First I felt love, then hatred and disdain."

"But what to you feel now?"

"Now I don't give a damn. I'm sorry that she is dead and her daughter doesn't have a mother anymore, but it's my problem anymore, only problem what lies on my shoulders now, is to find out who murdered her. I will go to her funeral, only because she was my fiancé." He closed his eyes for a second, "You know you are one in few people how know that story."

"Thanks for telling. To you feel better now?"

"Yeah I do." He yawned, he fell peace to sleep. Lindsay smiled at the man, who had just fell sleep in her arms. Everything will be ok.

* * *

_Finally I did it, here you go...9 chapter...I hope you enjoy it...I did when I wrote it...I don't say that you should review...that would be fun...but it's your choice, so wait and I promisse 10 chapter will be up soon._


	10. Morning

Sun light burst throw the window, he lift his left hand to cover his eyes, why did he had forgotten to shut the curtains? Suddenly, he felt someone beside him, and someone's finger made circles on his chest. What the hell, he hadn't slept beside a woman half a year then it all came to him, yesterday and last night, _Lindsay_.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" He asked keeping his eyes closed.

"I was just thinking." Don smirked, Lindsay was always thinking.

"About what?"

"I finally thought out, what the two extra smells were on you last night."

"Mh?" Flack was confused, two extra smells, what was she talking about?

"You know, every time you come near me I can smell your scent. It is a combination of gunpowder, leather jacket, even when you are wearing a coat, and your aftershave. But last night I smelt two other. First was freshly mowed grass. And it's so stranger, because I haven't smelled it before on you." He grinned leave it to Lindsay and she puts everything together.

"You have a good nose, you know. I went last evening to my parents, I didn't want to be alone, and I didn't want to disturb you guys again," Lindsay frowned, "I took my over night bag and extra cloths and there I was. But even my parent's presents didn't help. Suddenly I remembered what my father always did when he had a bad day, he mowed the lawn. So I took my dads lawnmower and tired it, but it didn't help, neither did my parents. So I took my stuff and droved of, next thing I remember, I was two block down from your apartment." They fell into the silence, out side the cars were driving past. Finally Flack broke the silence. "And what was the other smell?"

"You smoke." That wasn't a question that was a statement.

"Occasionally, when Alcohol and lawn mowing doesn't to the trick. Yesterday was one of those days."

"I never though you as a smoker."

"Why not?"

"I can see you drinking, but never smoking. Maybe it is so because it doesn't suit you." Flack took his hand from Lindsay's shoulder and rose to sitting position, back against head of the bed. Lindsay rose also, but she sat so she could face Don. "It seems like I have some explaining to do. Well it's like that. I started smoking when I was 15 years old. Yeah I know so young and already there. Also I was a cop son; everybody knew that if I get caught, my life would have been over. But to my pubertynic brain it was worth the risk. We all smoked; I, Patrick and Colin, but we never let the girls to smoke. Hell if I had ever let Camille smoke my life would have been surely over and my death would have been very painful. When I got nineteen I was a chain smoker. One day it hit me, what the hell I was doing with my life, I quitted with a day. But I keep always one pack inside my glove compartment. And when world comes down to me to hard I smoke, thank god it happens only once or twice a year." Lindsay didn't say anything; she placed her head to Flacks chest again and listened his strong heart beat.

She had learned more about Flack in two week then any other her co-workers in four months. Don looked the clock on bedside table, "It's already 8.30 my sift starts in hour and half."

"So does mine. Now get up and go and grab your things from your car, in that time I make something to eat. You're making the coffee when you get back." Flack frowned but got up from the bed, "And why must I make the coffee." He crabbed his cloths and put them on with a speed what could have come only with a lot of practice.

"Because, now go get your things."

"Yes, mom!"

"You know Don I'm going to kill you for that and hide all the evidence." But her treat pointless because Don was already out of the room and Lindsay could hear his laugh when he closed the front door.

In an hour they were walking towards Flacks car, "I thought you said you going to kill me?"

"You never know what I put into your breakfast."

"You are a witch."

"Say's who."

"Say's me."

"And you are a childe." Lindsay declared when she sat Don car's passenger seat.

"A childe?" Flack frowned when he started the car.

"Yes, you and Danny sometimes act like my two little brothers."

"You have two brothers?"

"Three actually. Carl is three years older than me, then comes Amy who is two years older, then my, then comes Sam who is three years younger than me and then baby of the family Peter who is year younger than Sam."

"Wow, you're right in the middle."

"Yeah, and I tell you that's not the greatest place to be." After that there was silence. Flack droved smoothly in New York's traffic, what was horrible as usual. Lindsay just looked the street, seemed like everybody had awakened already.

"Tell me what are we?" Lindsay interrupted the silence.

"What to you mean?"

"Well we have eaten breakfast twice together, technically we have spend two nights together one when I woke up in your place and tonight. Are we friends, co-workers or something else?" Flack lifted his right eyebrow.

"I don't know exactly. But if we are something else, believe me April will to double Sault in the air. Since she met you, she hasn't stopped bugging my, always telling how cool girlfriend you would make." Lindsay smirked then she got an idea, they were almost at the police station.

"My favorite band is Queens, favorite book is Pride and Prejudice, Favorite day is Wednesday, because every second Wednesday of the month I drink heavenly coffee at work, least favorite day is Monday, I think you know why, favorite word is solved, least favorite is not enough evidence. Favorite sound is computer printing answers, sound I don't like is when my siblings fight, favorite curse word is crap and when I'm at the pearly gates I hope god says to me, "I know you, are you sure you want to be here.""

Flack parked the car the moment she said that, "You know you watch too much "Inside actor's studio". And by the way why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because when you decide what we are, you would know." she was out off the car before Don could say anything.

Flack had frown on his face when he walked to his desk, his day had started pretty strangely, and he didn't want to know what came next. He couldn't even sat down when Nixon came to him, "Hey Flack, I have a surprise for you, I think its going to make your day!"

"You're sure; I think morning made my day already."

"Yeah I think so, come and see." Flacks frown deepened when he fallowed Nixon.

* * *

A/N: _Hello everyone, the 10 chapter of my story. I hope everybody who reads it, like it. I haven't had a time to answer reviews personaly, because I don't have much time, I hope no body feels offended because of that, now I thank you who have reviewed me, its good to that you like my story. So I also thank all who have put me to their alert list, thank you that you have had such belief in me. And I thank TigerTaylor who has put me into her favorit list. So now I stop babbling and hope you enjoy my story to the end._

_Maradon_


	11. Do things change?

Danny walked slowly and carefully in the corridor to trace lab, you could never know what would hit you, when Flack was out on revenge.

"Morning, Mary." Girl didn't even look up from the evidence she was processing.

"Morning Messer. If you going to try and lock me into the toilet, then I promise, you won't see tomorrow."

"Me, Mary I wouldn't even dream doing something like that." Danny put on his most innocent face, but it was too old trick to fell for it.

"Yeah, Messer, you, I know your reputation and I saw what you did to det. Flack."

"Oh Mary, that was all for fun."

"Fun!" she remembered very well what that fun had done to her. Two hours in a freaking closet. Mary breathed in she didn't want to get irritated.

"Messer go to hell, I have a work to do." Danny smirked, in the world there were only two women, except his sister and mother, who could send him to hell, Stella and Montana. All the other girls just smiled and melted to his charms. But now there was Mary who had just sent him to hell, and that intrigued him. He also knew that he couldn't push too much, so Danny looked the evidence what Mary was processing. "Is that the rope from Dail's case?"

"Yes, I have been looking at that damn rope for hours now, its usual packet rope; you can buy it from every department store. I just proved, before you came, that you were right yesterday. There aren't prints, any hair and no piece of skin to take DNA."

"So nothing?"

"Yeah."

"So that mother fucker did it again, hell how he does it."

"I don't know but you must calm down."

"How could I calm down, when some son of a bitch is after my best friend?" Mary smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"If he is your best friend, then why, the hell, did you trop pink color on him?"

"Are you sure you don't want to be locked into the toilet, Brebrick?" after saying that Danny turned and walked away.

"After you, Messer, after you." Mary yelled after him.

* * *

Flack walked after Nixon towards interrogation rooms, "So what's the surprise?"

"You'll see." They approach to the third room where Hawkes was waiting.

"Sheldon what are you doing here?"

"Mac sent me, to come along with you to in interrogation, the suspect."

"Okay, could someone tell me, what is going on?" Nixon and Hawkes exchanged looks,

"Well, strangest thing happened yesterdays evening when you had gone," Nixon rubbed his hands together.

"Yes?"

"We got two phone calls, one from a woman who lives across the Bianchi's murder site, and other woman who lives two storeys down from Dail's murder site."

"And?" Flack got impatient.

"Well they both said that they had seen a strange man lurking around there, before the murders, and came to identify him later that evening. You never guess who he is?"

"No, I'm not in the mood to play twenty questions. Who he is?"

"He is one of your old acquaintances." Hawkes handed Don a file.

"You're kidding, Nigel Carrington!" Nixon and Hawkes smiled.

"We picked him up half an hour ago, he is waiting for you."

"Ok Hawkes lets do it, you know the routine."

"Yeah." When they stepped into the room, Carrington was sitting on an uncomfortable plastic chair and stared the ceiling.

"Well Nigel, here you are again."

"Hello Flack could you tell me, why I'm here?"

"Yeah I could, you are here because I and CSI detective Hawkes would like to ask few questioned from you, right Hawkes?" Sheldon smiled and put to photos before Carrington, "To you know those women, Mr. Carrington?" Nigel glanced once at Melody and Olivia pictures, "No, I've never seen them."

"But to you know theses houses?" Sheldon put two more photos before Nigel. Latter paled, that was all what Flack needed, he sat onto table corner, "Why did you kill them Nigel?"

"I haven't killed anyone."

"Yeah, and I'm Queen Elisabeth. Stop the bullshit Nigel."

"I haven't killed anyone!"

"I don't believe you? You know why, because these women where killed in those buildings, and few witness saw you lurking around those places couple of days before."

"I swear Flack, I haven't killed anyone, I swear on my mother."

"Ok then what where you doing there?"

"Selling drugs. That house near the harbor is good place, for that, and in that other house I have a client."

"Back to your old job again, didn't five years in prison help a pit." Flack rubbed his eyes, it wasn't Nigel he had suspected that.

"You don't teach old dog new tricks."

"You know I have to report to your supervisor and narcotics department."

"Flack you wouldn't to that!"

"Sorry, I can't save your ass." He walked out from the room Hawkes fallowing him.

"So it's not him?"

"No!"

"Then good Morning to you, your majesty."

"I kill you if you say that again. Nixon, contact the Narcotics department and Carrington's supervisor." After that he didn't look back, he sat down behind his table everything in his life was so messed up, he knew there were only few people who he could count on, Lindsay was first of them.

* * *

Lindsay looked the pictures they had taken from Melody's murder side. There was something off with those, something they didn't see. But what? She looked the Italian words, knowing they by heart. Knowing their meaning "Look behind you, Flack, revenge is a bitch." They were cruel words from cruel person. Then it hit here, how they didn't see it before.

"Hey what you got there?" Stella walked into the room.

"Come and see." Stella stepped next to her, and looked the pictures.

"I have looked those photographs hundred times, what I need to see on them?"

"Look closely and tell me what to you see." Stella frowned but looked after all,

"I can see that some sicko has written on the wall in Italian, a threat to Flack. I don't understand what to I need to see here?"

Lindsay smiled, "I didn't see it also, but you just said the answer."

"I did?"

"Yes, let me explain," she put the picture beside, "When people meet you first time and hear your name, they can right away tell you are a Greece descend, with Danny they see that he is with Italian roots, Mac English or Irish, Me it's hard to tell, I don't even know who I am. But Flack what is the first thing you say about him."

"That he is an Irish, somewhere in our spinal cord is the information that Flack is Irish name."

"You got it, now look again that picture and what to you see?" Monroe pushed the picture to Stella. She looked it, her eyes lighted up. "It is in Italian."

"Right you are. Nobody who isn't his friend or acquaintance, doesn't know, that his mother is second generation Italian who is living in America. I think he doesn't say to suspects, "Hello I'm detective Flack, I'm half of Irish and Italian.""

"So we have to start looking into the people he knows."

"Yes, or he has one hell of an enemy who know everything about him."

"This case turns freakier everyday." They exchanged glances; they didn't like it at all.

* * *

When Lindsay walked into her and Danny's office few minutes before her sift was over, she found strange paper on her table, she walked slowly closer. The handwriting was familiar, she started to read:

_Well in the morning you said that it's my decision, what we are so:_

_My:_

_Favorite band: Guns 'n' Roses_

_Favorite book: War and peace, crime and punishment_

_Favorite day: Friday, day when mom makes lasagna _

_Least favorite day: Monday, I don't have to explain that _

_Favorite word: solved_

_Least Favorite word: Give me a word related to Danny and pink color_

_Sound I like: Prison cells closing_

_Sound I don't like: Gun going of, I know it's weird, but so it is_

_Favorite curse word: Son of a bitch or bullshit_

_When I'm at the pearly gates I hope St Peter says to me: Oh, god it's you._

_So hears the end of the list. Lastly I ask would you like to go to dinner with me tomorrow night, I looked your sift end at 5. So I would pick you up at 8. How does it sound?_

_D.F.Jr_

Lindsay started laughing, even at the darkest times there always is a light somewhere.

* * *

_A/N: Wow, it's been only a week, seemes like I had more time. I forget thank those people who had put me to their favorite list. So now a question to the big circle, should I make something between Danny and Mary or not? It is your decision. Pleas tell me, now I can see how much of you reads my Authors notes._

_Maradon_


	12. Date

Lindsay walked into Stella's office and landed on a chair before the table

Lindsay walked into Stella's office and landed on a chair before the table. Stella raised her eyes from the documents she was reading.

"So what's bugging you? You should be in seventh heaven, because you have a date with Flack tonight."

Lindsay smirked, she should have known, "I think I check every room in the lab, I suspect that Danny has everything wired."

"Why to you think it is Danny?"

"Because, he is the biggest gossiper you can find."

"You're right again. Back to the topic in hand, what's bothering you?"

"I don't have anything to wear to night."

"Every woman's eternal problem. You haven't been on a date since you moved into the big apple?"

"I only went once to opera, but that was cut short when Danny found that body in subway."

Stella stud up, "So you need my help." Lindsay nodded, "Ok, our sift ends in four hours, ask Flack if you should dress formally, casually or between. Then we look through your closet and if you don't have anything wear, of what I doubt, then we're going shopping. We have three hours so everything will be under control."

"Okay." Lindsay crabbed her cell and sent a message to Flack.

* * *

Don looked around, Danny and Mac had dragged him out to lunch into "Grambely".

"So tell me guys why are we here?"

"Fellows at the department have talked about this place for months now, so I thought that we should check it out." Mac took a piece of bread out of the basket what was bought on to the table.

Danny grinned "Seems like, Grambely, Sullivan's and Ray's are making fortune, feeding starving cops."

"And on cops who need alcohol." Flack nodded, he looked at the bar and saw Victor Mast who was cleaning glasses, and nodded greeting to him.

"So that is Mast?" Danny looked the man at bar.

"Yeah, he's a good lad, but bad circumstances put him to jail, life isn't easy. So would you guys tell me, what is going on?"

Danny and Mac exchanged smirks, "Wait a little, our food is coming." Flack frowned and looked the roost beef he had ordered, he hadn't had beef so long, but something inside of him was against the food. He knew he had to eat, because if Danny and Mac were in the mood like that, he should be careful. He looked when his tortures took last bite he asked, "So let me have it, what to you two want!"

"First of all, the darker themes," Mac looked firmly at him, "We need to look deeper into your acquaintances, I need a list, make it two lists, one for those who hate you."

"I'm going to make you happy and say, the list of those who hate me is longer than route 66."

"It seems like you have had a very busy life."

"Don't mention it. I give you the list tomorrow's eve or day after tomorrow. And now the lighter theme!" at that both Danny and Mac sat right beside him, "So you're going out with Lindsay tonight." Don had suspected that. "Danny I ought to kill you, reading my letter to Lindsay, that's low, bro."

"You shouldn't have left it so openly on her table; I just recognized your handwriting."

"I need to ask, didn't your mother ever teach you that reading others letters isn't polite?"

"She did, but in the university I was taught that it was important to read every letter you found."

"Damn CSI's," Flack muttered under his breath, "So what to you want?" Don looked at Mac, "Here's the cliché, Donny, if you hurt her we send you to soprano's choir."

"Don't worry, if it happens, she will kill me before you even got there, and she will hide the evidence so well that even you, Stella and Sheldon don't find them."

"Then it's settled, but remember, if she doesn't get you first, we will." Flack smirked; he needed to watch his back.

* * *

"What did Flack say?" Stella asked when they walked to Lindsay's apartment.

"Between." Stella smirked; she should have guessed that Flack will to something romantical. Lindsay threw her bag on the cupboard, "Do you want something to drink?"

"Yes, coffee would be nice, where is your closet?"

"In my bedroom,­ it's down the corridor first door to left." Stella left from the kitchen where they in some point had stepped in.

When Lindsay followed her into the bedroom 20 minutes later Stella had looked through all of her clothes and had made four piles on her bed.

"You know, I would die to have clothes like this. I don't understand why to you say that you don't have anything to wear?"

"Maybe it is so because I'm use to having these clothes. So what did you find?"

"Oh I found all kind of beautiful things. I think we can find the right thing you to wear." In next hour they browsed through all those cloths. Skirts, blouses, pants, dresses, at last they found a black culotte and green collar and half sleeved shirt.

"That's perfect, now we only need to find you a jacket and shoes. You go now and get a shower I'm going to put cloths and look for the things you need." Lindsay only nodded when Stella was in fashion mode, no one wanted to argue with her.

Another hour later, Lindsay stood before her long mirror.

"You look beautiful; Flack would be a Neanderthal, if he didn't think that." Lindsay grinned, Stella was right, under her instructions, she had become beautiful. She wore black high heels, culotte, green shirt and black jacket, Stella had made her light make up and she had little curls in her hear.

"I'm going to go now; he will be here about a quarter of an hour." Stella looked once more at Lindsay, "You know I feel like a mother whose daughter is going on her first date." Lindsay started laughing, that was little disturbing picture, but fun, "So tell me mother, how old you were when you had me?"

"Stop your mocking, now I really going. Tomorrow you will tell me everything."

* * *

Exactly at seven o'clock Lindsay opened her door to Flack. He stared at Lindsay, he felt like his jaw hanged opened, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," she stepped out and stood next to him, "Seems like you aren't Neanderthal."

"What?"

"Sorry, inside joke," Don took her hand and guided her to the cab and gave the driver the address, what Lindsay didn't recognize.

"So were we going?"

"It's a surprise, you'll see."

Cab stopped in front of a little cozy Greeks restaurant, Flack took Lindsay under her hand again and showed her inside to the restaurant.

"Donny, my boy." Came a joyful exclamation and 60 year old man, with black grayish hair came to them and crab Flack into a bear hug.

"Uncle Ralf, it's good to see you again."

"How's you mother?"

"She is doing well, but she complained, that she hasn't heard from her older brother for a long time."

"That's not a nice older brother then, if I was him I run for my life, your mothers anger is so horrible that even Napoleon would have run before it hit him."

"I don't see you running, uncle."

"I have business to run here, Donny, and not even your mother's anger would stop me." That exchange was held with serious faces, but the seriousness was cut with two similar laughs, "I promise I call her, in few days. But how is that beautiful young lady with you?"

"Uncle I like you to meet Lindsay Monroe, Lindsay this is my uncle Raffaele Gallucci."

"It's pleasure to meet you Ms Monroe; what are you doing with a man like my nephew?"

"Pleasure is all mine Mr. Gallucci. I just had to come; he begged on knees, I felt sorry for him, so I'm here." Mr. Gallucci started laugh again, "Donny I like the girl she's got fire in her."

"I know, uncle, I know." Don and Lindsay changed amused glances.

"I kept the table you asked, come with me." Uncle Ralf leaded them through the cozy restaurant to a little table under the window. "Here're the menus, I'll be right back."

When uncle Ralf left, Lindsay looked at Don, "So tell me now, he is an Italian, but owns Greeks restaurant?"

"He has a strange logic. Stranger than any I have heard before."

"So I'm here to listen."

"Well, he has a theory that Greeks foods are better than Italian, because Italian food are descend from Greek. Because when Roman added it to empire, they took over their gods and why not even their foods. But like Roman gods were bad duplicates of Greek gods, so the foods are to." Lindsay's left lip corner started twitching and then she was out openly laughing.

"I told you it was strange logic." Lindsay stopped laughing when Ralf came back to their tablet. "So here are the menus."

"Thanks uncle Ralf."

"Donny, I'm sorry I haven't talked to you lately, I just wanted to say to you that I'm sorry about Melody and Olivia."

"Thanks uncle, but don't let it all ruin our evening. What to you recommend us to order?"

"Today's specials are Gyro and Pastitsio. For the young lady to know Gyro is thin slices of barbecued meat specially seasoned with herbs and spices, served with tomatoes and onions on pita bread, and topped with tzadziki. And Pastitsio is Greek "lasagna" combining macaroni, ground meat, cheese and covered with béchamel sauce."

"What to you think Lindsay?"

"I trust your taste, it seems like you know better Greeks foods than me."

"Well, then Uncle bring us today's specials. I have Gyro and Pastitsio for Lindsay."

"You have very good taste nephew." When uncle Ralf walked back into the kitchen Don and Lindsay exchanged smiles.

"He is a strange fellow."

"I told you. You know Danny and Mac cornered me at lunch. They told me if I hurt you, I will sing in the soprano's choir tomorrow."

"I can understand their worry, considering your reputation."

"What's wrong with my reputation?"

Lindsay smiled mischievously, "Oh I don't know, maybe that there is a rumor in the lab and department that you date every new female police officer and lab tech." Flacks eyes went big and he started waiving his hand in front of him, "No, no, no that's not true. Danny is that one, not me."

"Well, well I thought I never see again how Donald Flack tries to talk himself out of trouble." Don turn to around to the place where the laughing voice had come from, a smirk formed on his lips, "And I thought I never see the day when Patrick Douglas comes free willingly to a restaurant for dinner."

"You wouldn't, if she hadn't held a gun against my head and told me choose my life or dinner, so we left the children to your parents and here we are." Flack crabbed the brown haired man into a brotherly hug.

"Donny I did not, that man is lying." A beautiful woman stepped close, just one look and Lindsay could tell she was Camille Flack-Douglas Don sister.

"Remember Pat, that it was me who taught her to shoot, how are you, baby sister of mine?"

"That is scary you know." Flack hit him and then hugged her lovingly and gently.

"Well, oh older brother of mine, and how are you."

"Let's not disturb the mood, Camille. Now let me introduce you two to Lindsay Monroe my collage and my date tonight. Lindsay, this beautiful and wonderful lady is my sister Camille Douglas, and this gentleman is my brother-in-law and one of my partners in crime Patrick Douglas."

"It is pleasure to meet you. I have heard so much about you." Lindsay smiled to the married couple.

"And so have we, April haven't stopped talking about you, from the day she met you." Lindsay blushed; Flack started to save her from the embarrassment, but was stopped by Patrick.

"A date, Flack?"

"A brick for a brain, Pat?" Lindsay and Camille changed looks and burst out laughing, "They are always like that you get use to it."

"Yeah I know Flack and Danny are like that all the time."

"Oh then you haven't seen the worst of it, when Don, Col, and Pat got together there are impossible, but if you add Danny into that mix you get five year olds."

"Only five?"

"Yeah you're right their more like three." And they cracked up again.

"Hey, Flack, your sister and date are making fun of us."

"Oh, and know their both are mine? Well Douglas it's seems like you are going home alone tonight, because I'm going to entertain Both of my girls."

"You wouldn't be that cruel, I take my words back." He smiled his cutest smile, what made everyone's heart melt, even the juries and judges, but not Flacks. "You know, I fell for that smile last time in the forth grade, hell look at where it got me, so yeah, but nice try."

"Honey, I think it's time to go back to our table, because your brother is bitching and the food is coming."

Camille turned to Lindsay, "It was very nice to meet you Lindsay."

"Same here Camille."

"So big brother of mine," Camille hugged him and whispered, "She is a nice girl, don't let her go. And take care yourself."

"I will, don't worry about it."

"If it's you I always worry, and don't forget this Sunday April is all yours, maybe we bring Sean also."

"Right sis." Patrick tabbed on his shoulder.

"Don't forget how to be a gentlemen, take the girl home after the date," Flack hit him back to his head, "and we must go play hockey soon."

"I call Colin and we see what time we could match together." When Patrick and Camille had gone back to their table, Lindsay looked at Flack, "So you play hokey?"

"Yeah all three of us, we love football, soccer, basketball and baseball, but hey hokey was the game for us."

"So what position you play?"

"I'm the goalie?"

"Let me guess, Jim Craig is your idol?"

"How did you know? Yeah he was and still is. I think my first memory is the Olympic of 80, I know I was only two years old then, but I swear that was my first memory. The words "to you believe in miracles?" etch indelibly in to my mind. Every time when I step on the ice I hear them. I almost went to collage and played pro, but in the last minute I decide to become a cop."

"A pro, then you were very good?" He started to answer when Ralf came.

"Your food will be ready in a minute, here is the wine chart." Flack and Lindsay looked at it; all the wines there were Greeks, as should be.

"So what to you wish?"

"What to you think Lindsay Cava Athanassiadi White, is good with you?"

"Is it good?"

"Trust Donny in that Ms Monroe, he has good taste in wines, as he has in woman and food."

"Okay, it's fine with me."

"Uncle Ralf Cava Athanassiadi White it is then."

"I'll be back in a minute." And he was true to his word.

"Here you go Donny." He gave the glass to Flack, who smelled it and tasted it. "Still as good as I remember," He turned to Lindsay, "It is combination of Savatiano and Asyrtiko, they aged this wine for two years in barrel and bottle."

"How to you know so much about this wine?"

"My dear, he knows lot about wines because he comes from Gallucci family."

"Lindsay, my family loves wines even if I prefer a good cold bear, the love towards wines will stay in my blood." At that moment their food arrived. They stayed quiet for a while.

"Yeah, I was good; I got stipendium into the Boston University, Pat and Colin got it also, but I made a different decision, so did Colin and Patrick, Colin got an injury and Pat had Camille, we all turned over back to the professional hokey, but we still play."

"Boston University if you had gone there you'll have been the mortal enemy to the Minnesota University."

"Yeah, that would have been."

Hour later Ralf crabbed Don into a big bear hug, "Don't let that one go, she is a jewel."

"I know that uncle, and I won't." Ralf went and hugged Lindsay gently, "Keep an Eye on him, won't you."

"I will Mr. Gallucci."

Don Helped Lindsay into the cab, "So what to you think?"

"You have nice family at least the part I have met. "

"Some they you meet all of them." Silence took over the car.

"So your idol is a man who stopped 36 out of 39 shots that night against the Russians. He could play like that even after his mother's death, what was horrible to him."

"How the hell to you know all of that?"

"Could tell you that I watched the move, but know, my older brother likes hokey, He himself was three on 80's Olympic Games, but he has always told that he remembers them. He plays football, but hokey is his baby."

"Let me guess, you know hell of a lot about hokey then."

"Your right." Cab stopped before Lindsay's apartment house. Flack accompanied her to the door. "I had wonderful evening, thank you Don."

"So had I." Then Flack kissed her, Lindsay felt how her knees got weaker, she never had been kissed that way. When it ended Lindsay hold her eyes closed so that the feeling wouldn't go away, when she opened them again she saw Flack blue eyes looked her interestingly.

"You know that kind of a kiss should be punished by the law."

"Well then we both should be bearing life time for years know." Flack smiled, Lindsay was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but he had to leave her know.

"I should go know."

"Yeah you should." But either of them didn't make a move. Finally Don kissed her again, it was the kiss what robed every sense from your head, then he backed of. "It was the best evening I ever had, but know I'm really going, see you tomorrow:" Then he ran to the cab. Lindsay looked after him, and then to the sky, was it an illusion or real, but she saw stars in the sky. Where they outcome of Flack kisses or it was one of the perfect night in her life. She didn't know but she thought about it when she closed the door.

* * *

_N/A: Finally I'm finished with this chapter, I know it's almost two months so I'm a ass, yes I know that. But hear me out, I am been really busy and a monster called writer's block sat on me. I got rid of him after I beat him up and threw out of the window. So I hope you enjoy the chapter, I myself am little doubtful about it, but please tell me what to you think about it._


	13. Angel

It was a dark night, only a lamp on the bedside table gave some light and the silence was filled with beeps from the heart monitor. She looked at the pale and busted face lying on the pillow in the bed next to her. Lindsay didn't understand why this had happened. She should have been in that building, not Flack. She should have been the one who had been blown up. Just this morning she and Flack had joked, about the Sunday block parties and Wyoming and now, suddenly she was sitting next to his hospital bed at 2 am. Lindsay knew that Dons life was hanging on by a thread. The doctors had only told her that Don was in critical condition and that the next few hours would be pivotal.

Everyone on the team were devastated. Flack was one of them; he usually spent more time in the lab than at the department. Every time he had had any trouble he always turned to Mac and not his Captain. Mac has always been more of a father figure than a superior officer to the team and to Mac they all were his family. He considered Sid and Hawkes his brothers and Stella her sister, Adam as his nephew; Danny and Flack his sons with Don being the older one because he felt like Danny would never grow up. In the last few weeks Mac had even started referring to Lindsey as the girlfriend of his eldest son.

But now, suddenly everything was out of place. Lindsey felt like the entire world was against her.

She wanted to cry, but she couldn't, something held the tears back. That something told her that everything would be okay – eventually. She knew that somewhere, someone is looking over him and that that someone won't let him die. She reached out and touched his face, the face that had looked at her so lovingly so many times. She wished that Don would just open his beautiful blue eyes. She knew that wouldn't happen and that he could be out for another day. Lindsay sat back in her chair and held his hand and cried – cried for the first time in that hell of a day.

* * *

The sky was in overcast and you could here the thunder upon the city of New York, it was going to rain soon. Knowing all that had happened – Lindsey still couldn't believe that Don was gone. She felt empty inside - just like a part of her soul was missing. Don lay in an oak casket, which was as strong and reliable as he had been. But now everything was wrong like it was happening to someone else. She looked at the tombstone that his parents had ordered the day after he had died, on it where words:

_Donald Michael Flack_

_Beloved Son, Brother, Friend and Lover_

_Died __in the line of duty_

_He __shall never be forgotten_

She didn't see his blue eyes after that morning ever again, that morning had robbed her of happiness by taking the love of her life. Knowing it all was gone, gone with the wind. How ironical that she compared herself with Scarlet O'Hara. But she was not and Flack was no Rhett Butler, Scarlet eventually got her happiness, got her Rhett, but Don will never come back. The priest was talking something, but Lindsay didn't hear it, it was as if looking at a movie with the sound on mute. Stella crabbed her left hand, she was crying, but Lindsay didn't feel like crying she was empty – out of tears, she didn't have anything to give anymore.

Lindsay saw Mac on Stella's left side just staring blankly. Lindsay looked at the front of the row of mourners. Dons' father held her wife tightly. The poor woman hadn't stopped crying from the moment when the doctor announced Don's time of death. Uncle Ralf was standing behind them, holding a hand on his sisters' shoulder. Colin and Patrick stood protectively around Camille who was firmly holding on to April; the girl had become an adult just after her fun-loving uncle died. Patrick had picked up Sean who didn't understand what was going on, but was crying anyway.

Lindsay was woken from her silent movie by Mac who walked past her. He was going to make the speech. It was expected by all that Mac would be the one giving the eulogy. He would have given it even if Dons' father hadn't asked him.

Mac paused for a moment, gathering strength, before speaking:

"I would like to say that the world is grieving. But I can't, because the world didn't know detective Donald Flack like we did. We are here to mourn one of the best detectives of the NYPD." They all saw how Mac tried to hold back his tears,

"I remember the first time, when I met him. I had just received a call to a crime scene. I remembered being told that morning that I would be getting a new homicide detective on my team. When I arrived I saw a tall, dark haired, blue eyed man. His first words to me were, "Hello, I'm detective Don Flack, I don't believe, that science solves crimes." I told him, that of course science alone doesn't solve crimes – that's why we also need homicide detectives. In years he understood that. I remember him telling me "You know me - everyone is a suspect, until you prove otherwise." He was like son to me, a boy I saw growing up from a young investigator to a detective who knew exactly what was needed. When he came to our team, Danny, one of his best friends started calling him Junior; I think you all know why. Don hated it so he got his revenge and Danny had blue teeth for a day and Flack himself had blue hair the month later. That was the beginning of the largest prank war the lab had ever seen only to be ended by his untimely death. Don never had a chance to get his revenge for the pink color incident. The junior thing stopped some two years after it started. I remember the day when me and Stella heard Danny refer to Don by his given name for the first time and when Stella asked what had happened during the shift Don only smirked, "Oh I put one crazy sniper away and saved Messer's butt from getting pierced.""

Lindsay noticed a few smirks and chuckles as she felt how the tears started fall again.

"Our day was never perfect without hearing some "Flackism" - his sarcastically quick-witted remarks for which he was renowned for. Twenty-nine years ago heaven lost an angel, but we gained one. Today we are giving him back. You'll never be forgotten, Flack. You'll always live on in our hearts." Lindsay closed her eyes; the tears that she couldn't hold back were once more rolling down her cheeks. Stella pulled her closer as they watched the 3-volley salute. The first drops of rain had started to fall when the flag was folded up. As they were leaving the cemetery lightning and thunder slapped again and rain started falling heavily. Like the sky was crying over the lost of Don Flack.

After Dons death Mac had submerged him self in work vowing not to rest until the bastard responsible was behind bars. Mac was sadder, he didn't laugh at all anymore. Danny, who was standing on her right side, had lost his sense of humor; Hawkes was more serious than before. The morgue was now silent - now you could feel the death in there, before Flack had died Sid would be making funny and quick-witted remarks but now it was like, well like a morgue. It felt like all the fun had died with Don. Adam had even stopped listening to the music that Flack had hated so much. He told Stella few days ago that it wasn't fun anymore, he had always turned the music up when he knew that Don was in the lab, it had annoyed Flack so much and Adam knew that exactly after 20 minutes Flack would come barging in telling him to turn that freaking music of or he would shove that goddamn stereo system up his ass. The New York crime lab would never be the same ever again.

* * *

Lindsay was woken by a sudden shaking.

"Lindsay." She opened her eyes and looked into the blue eyes that belonged to April Douglas "Oh, Morning, April." She looked past the girl and saw Camille and Patrick standing behind her.

"You were crying in your sleep." Lindsay jumped up and looked at the bed. He was still there, unconscious and pale – but at least alive. It had been only a dream.

"It was a bad dream that's all. What's the time?"

"Nine o'clock in the morning." Lindsay shucked her head to wake up. She thought she had to get to work in an hour only to recall that the entire team had gotten two days off.

"How is he doing?" Lindsay heard a voice so familiar but older, she looked at the door and there they stood, his parents. She could immediately see the family resemblance of Camille and Flack by looking at their parents who had just entered the room.

"Lindsay I'd like you to meet our parents Delanna and Donald Sr."

"It's nice to meet you; I only wish it were under better circumstances." She looked towards to April having thought that the girl was too young for all that had happened but she saw in her eyes the same confidence that Don and Camille had. She understood that April was ready for anything. April had known from a young age that anything could happen in the line of duty. "Dr Lang told us, that he isn't out of the woods yet but if he wakes up then he will probably recover."

"Thank god for that." Delanna looked at Lindsay knowing that she was the girl she had heard so much about form April, Camille and Don.

"So you are the girl who has smitten my boy so hard."

"I can't comment the smitten part, but yes, we are in love."

"Have you been here all night?"

"Yeah, I arrived here at midnight; I still don't understand why the nurses haven't kicked me out yet."

"I'm glad that he found a girl like you" said Delanna looking at Donald who seemed to agree that that girl was right for Don; he had finally found the one.

"But I will go now, I don't want to intrude." She walked to Don, took his hand, kissed his forehead and "Wake up soon, we miss you." As she lifted her head the she felt Dons' hand holding onto hers. The blue eyes that had been closed just seconds ago were opening. "Donno can you here me?" she whispered "We are all here."

"His waking" said Flack Sr. and grasped his other hand, "Donny can you hear us." Flacks' eyelashes flickered; he briefly opened his eyes and looked at his father and then turned towards Lindsay, "Angel!?"

"No Don, I'm not an angel. Now try to stay awake, I'm going to find a doctor." She let go of his hand and left to find a doctor.

"Donny, come out of it, look at us" said his mother. They could see as Don was fighting the darkness; he didn't want to let it win. He had seen an angel, a familiar one and was fighting for the chance to see her again. As he opened his eyes yet again he saw his parents and Camille standing over him. As the fog in his mind was starting to clear he could finally stay awake.

"Mom, Dad?" his voice was still weak but at least he understood where he was. Before his parents could reply he heard footsteps and saw a new face looking at him. "It seems like our sleeping beauty has waken, welcome back to the land of the living detective Flack, I'm Dr Jody Lang. How are you feeling?"

"It feels as if I was blown up."

"Donny that's not funny." His mother and sister said at the same time.

"Good to know that you haven't lost your sense of humor detective. Now if you excuse us I must ask you to leave so that I could examine him."

"We'll be just out side" said Delanna as they left the room. Lindsay looked at his family; they where so close just like hers.

"Really, I must be going know" said Lindsay

Delanna hugged Lindsay "You don't need to go. He needs you beside him as much as he needs us."

"It's not that Mrs. Flack, I need to go home, wash and eat something. I will come back later."

Dr Lang interrupted their little conversation; "His gone back to sleep now but his going to be alright. All he needs now is some peace and love. I'll be back in a few hours to check on him again."

Lindsay said goodbye to Dons' family and thought to herself as she was leaving "I can't wait to tell the guys the good news and after that I really need some coffee."

* * *

N/A: Here you go chapter thirteen. Everybody who are mad at me because of the dream, I tell sorry. But I have had long time a wanted to write a story what would the team and Lindsay/Flack felt when Lindsay/Flack would die. But I couldn't something stopped me, then I go an idea to write it as a dream. So that you got. I got myself a new beta-reader, I think you all saw how I started making threatful mistakes from the chaoter 8. In november my other beta had a very busy time at school and it hasn't stopped yet, so I posted without beta-reading. But my other friends agreed to beta me. When he started reading it he laught, I made mistakes what every eight year old should know, then I started imagen how all of you who's first language is English, read my story and think WTF, is she talking about. So I'm very sorry about the mistakse I had in the ohter chapters. And I hope you injoy my story anyway.


	14. Have you gone crazy?

Sheldon glanced at the file and walked into the trace lab.

"Hey Mary, do you have the results for the hair we found in the triple murder scene?"

"Sorry Sheldon, I'm swamped but I'll do them next."

Mary looked at the Doctor.

"What's got you in a foul mood?"

"Two words – de Boise."

"What did he do this time?"

"Oh, five minutes ago he gave me a lecture about collecting and processing evidence and how we did it all wrong and how Las Vegas and Miami have better crime labs. Stella and I had to hear it all because we couldn't get away."

Mary frowned.

"I'm glad that detective de Boise is such an expert in forensic investigation. When will his book come out?"

"I think it's coming out on the twelfth of never."

"Is that right after the hell freezes over?"

"I'm glad to see that at least you're fitting in nicely. You're as cynical as rest of us."

"I think that's why Mac hired me."

"Then again, that's why he hired all of us."

Laughter filled the trace lab but it stopped the moment detective de Boise came around the corner.

"Okay, I'm going to flee now."

"You can't leave me alone with him, Hawkes!"

"Mary, if you survive de Boise, you will survive everything."

"I'll kill you Hawkes!"

"I've heard that before, Brebrick."

"Brebrick!"

Mary frowned as Hawkes disappeared behind the corner just as de Boise entered the trace lab. "Do you have the test results for the triple murder?"

"I'm starting with them right away."

"Just so you know you got those little pieces of evidence yesterday afternoon!"

"Like I told Hawkes – I'm swamped."

"You know, Las Vegas and Miami crime labs are much quicker and better. They are all…"

Mary gritted her teeth as de Boise rambled on.

* * *

"I hate hospital food."

Lindsay smirked and sipped her coffee.

"Oh really, I wouldn't have guessed from the face you did when you ate it."

"Ha-Ha, very funny Angel."

"Are you always going to call me like that?"

"Yeah, are you against it?" Flack smiled as the only things that amused him these days were tormenting the nurses, teasing Lindsay and watching ESPN.

"No I don't have anything against it; I just haven't thought of a nickname for you yet."

"Please don't make it something stupid."

"We'll see, we shall see."

Don smirked as he tried to make himself comfortable on the pillows.

"So tell me what's going on at lab and in department?"

Lindsay sat on his bed.

"Well you know detective de Boise?"

"You mean the jackass who worked in Las Vegas and Miami and came to NY 6 months ago?"

"Yeah, I think that's the one. He's been brought in to replace you."

Lindsay looked Flacks face, he didn't seem amused.

"You're kidding me right? That guy is an arrogant son of a bitch."

"Just like you."

"Hey, I don't think I'm better then everyone else. He on the other hand once tried to teach me how to do my job."

"Your not the only one, Stella called when I came here, he tried to teach her and Hawkes how to do theirs."

"Stella and Sheldon, does he have death wish?"

Lindsay chuckled, she touched his face.

"You know I've missed your sense of humor."

"And I miss my job."

Lindsay frowned; that goddamn man was going to drive them all crazy.

"What does that have to do with your sense of humor?"

Flack looked her like she was nuts.

"If I don't get back to work soon, I'm going to lose it."

"You poor workaholic, if I understood Dr Lang correctly they'll release you in about a week, then if you go and get checked regularly they will monitor your progress and decide how quickly you can go back to work."

"Are they trying to kill me?"

"Don, if you don't follow doctors orders I can promise you that they will not be the ones who kill you."

"Donny is in trouble." By the door stood a man with ginger hair, "Why is it always when I turn my back, you get into trouble or hurt."

"Hey, the last time I got hurt was because of you and Patrick and last time when I got into serious trouble was also because you guys. You ran and left me to take the blame."

"No it wasn't like that."

"Hell yeah it was."

"Okay, okay, so we ran. Will you ever forgive us?"

"No, but it's good to see you, man."

Lindsay chuckled, "So this is the third musketeer."

"Lindsay, I'd like to introduce you to Colin Macbert,"

Flack pointed at the man who had sat in the chair by his bed.

"Colin this is Lindsay Monroe, my girlfriend and co-worker."

"It's nice to meet you Ms Monroe."

"Same here, but call me Lindsay."

"That's fine, if you refer to me as Colin."

"Alright, but now I must go now, Mac only gave me an hour to see you."

"So soon?"

Don pouted; he loved the hours that he spent with Lindsay.

"Yes so soon. Now behave yourself, don't tantalize the nurses they are here to help you."

"You're no fun."

"I know. Danny promised to come to see you on his lunch break."

"Goodie, he could amuse me." Lindsay saw that glint in his eyes.

"Don you sound like a child. Now remember, there shall be no wheelchair racing in the halls with Danny!"

"Angel I'm not aloud out of the bed yet!"

"Knowing you, you'll find a way."

"I love you too, Angel."

"And don't forget it; I'll see you in the evening." Lindsay walked to the door.

"By the way, thanks for the idea."

"Don, you're intolerable!" Lindsey's commented from the hall

"See you in the evening and don't kill de Boise. I want to do that."

They heard laughter going down the hall.

"You have a fine woman there, Donny."

Flack turned his attention to his childhood friend.

"Yes, I know. So, how have you been?"

"Fine, fine, my mother is driving me nuts though. She and dad are traveling and even now she finds time to call me and complain how she doesn't have any grandchildren and how should I settle down."

"Has she talked with my mother lately?"

"I think so, because in the last call she told me that I should look up to you because you have found yourself a girl."

"I'm sorry old buddy, if I had known that would get you in trouble I wouldn't have fallen in love."

"Shut up and enjoy your happiness, Don."

They both stared laughing. Their mothers had tried to fix them up with girls their whole life and if one of them should get a girlfriend the others mother would rub it under his nose.

"I'm sorry that we can't play hockey this weekend."

"There is no problem; the only important thing is that you'll get back on your feet."

"Yeah, I'll get better than ever and will kick your ass like I used too."

"We'll see that."

At that moment his pager went off.

"You see Don, I don't even have five minutes to be with my sick friend and she is talking about family."

"You got to go?"

"Yeah, but I'll come back to see you as soon as I can"

"Well if you want to talk, here is the phone number to my room phone."

"You have fine luxuries here. What did you have to do to get it?"

"You don't want to know."

"Well if you don't want to tell me that's fine. I'll go now, but if you see a beautiful nurse please give her my number."

"You can count on that. See you."

When Danny walked into Don's room a few hours later he found Don staring aimlessly at a rerun of "I love Lucy".

"Bored, huh?"

"Why would you think that? I love being in hospital. There's literally nothing to do. If they don't kill me with medicine soon, I'll die from boredom."

"You're as sarcastic as ever. You have so many beautiful nurses around here and you complain."

Flack rolled his eyes.

"Sit down Messer and amuse me."

Danny smirked; Don will do anything to drive them crazy once his released. He sat in a chair right beside his friends' bed.

"I have strict orders not to amuse you."

"Lindsay?"

"Yeah, let me remember exactly how she said it. Ah yes, "If you let him talk you into wheelchair racing you'll find yourself from the bottom of the sea and you don't even know how you got there." She has a hell of a control over you."

"Yeah, I know. Well if we can't race down the halls in wheelchairs then at least tell me something interesting."

"I am thinking about asking Mary out."

"You mean the lab tech Mary "Messer-if-you-come-near-me-you'll-find-a-hole-in-your-head" Bebrick?"

"Are you a comedian Flack?"

"No, but heard it with my own ear when she told Adam, that if you come near her again without any evidence then not even Mac will find your body." Their conversation was cut short by phone that started to ring.

"Detective Don Flack."

"_Hello, Flack, have you missed me?_"

Flack knew that voice. He had heard it only once but it was a voice he'll never forget.

"How the hell did you get this number?" "_that Bastard" _he mouthed to Danny who quickly called to Zack to trace the phone in Flacks hospital room.

"_If you have a little bit of charm and knowledge you can get everything you need. How do you feel Flack? I say I should congratulate the guy who did that to you. Even I couldn't think out something so beautiful, I envy him._"

"What the hell to you want?

"_What I want is simple. I want to see you suffer like I did. That Lindsay Monroe is a beautiful woman but I don't understand what she sees in you. I think she will be better of with a man like me. Oh yeah, I have a plan for her._"

"If you ever touch her I'll kill you. Give me your name man and I will find you and kill you."

"_Where would be fun in that? You will suffer and I'll see to that._" The line went dead.

"Call was to short for Zack to trace it."

"God damn it!"

"Did he threaten Lindsay?"

"Yes, but you will not tell her."

"Why not?"

"Because I told you so, that's why!"

"When have I ever listened to you?"

"You will now, get it."

"Yeah, Yeah, I'll go back to lab now and tell Mac. I know what you're thinking but don't do it, it won't help."

"Bye, Danny!"

"See you soon."

When Flack was left alone he closed his eyes. He needed to do something. He had a plan and he was going to carry it out despite Danny's protests because he couldn't think of anything else to do.

When Lindsay came that evening Flack had made his decision.

"Hello Don."

"What are you doing here?"

"What to you mean, what I'm doing here? I promised to come to see you."

"Go away Lindsay!" Lindsay looked at Flack, she saw a man she had never seen, a man she wouldn't have want to see.

"What's going on Don?"

"What's going on, I'll tell. You know the rumors you heard about me are true. I date and sleep every new female cop and CSI. You're one of them. Be happy we didn't sleep together yet."

"Don, I know that's not true, now tell me what's going on."

"Nothings going on, don't you understand that, I just want you to leave me alone!"

"Don calm down and talk to me."

"What are you stupid? Oh right you are from the country, seems like the tales about how stupid you country gals are; is right."

"Don have you gone crazy?"

"No, I've just began to see you for what you really are. A naïve girl who would believe anything she's told. Did you really think that was some "magic" between us? You were just some entertainment to pass the time until the next one came along and it has, I've been thinking about giving Mary a spin."

"You are a bastard, you know?"

"Yes I know, please leave!"

"With pleasure." When Lindsay ran out from the room, Flack sighted, he had done what was best for her but then why did it hurt so much.

* * *

A/N: Here you go nr 14. Please if you can please don't kill me. I felt that I needed to right it so. In my opinion Flack in some place needed to show his over protectiness and he did it that way, it hurt to write it but soon everything will be right.


	15. The past and the present

She hadn't slept at all that night. She kept playing it over and over again in her mind. Why was Flack suddenly trying to push her away? It didn't feel right. Something must have happened during those 7 hours that she had been at work, but what? What could make Flack change like that? Yesterday, he had been his usual humorous and sarcastic self, but now… Colin had stayed with him when she left for work, but he had no reason to upset him. She remembered Danny being unusually tightlipped when he came back from visiting Flack on his lunch break. But what could have happened with Danny that was so bad that Flack felt the need to push her away. The only way for Lindsey to get some closure was to go back to hospital. Back to the place she had promised last night never to go again.

* * *

Flack looked at the three people in his room. His mother was mad at him for driving Lindsay away; she had stepped into the room while Danny was giving his_ „You-are-an-asshole-for-doing-that"_ lecture and Mac was watching it all silently from the corner. Flack groaned, it had started to annoy him already, he had done what he thought was better for Lindsay. He was about to say something when Mac interrupted…

"We don't know who he was, like Danny told you yesterday Zack didn't have enough time to trace him. I talked to the nurse who was in administration yesterday, she told me that one man had called and claimed to be your cousin. He inquired how to get in touch with you because he couldn't come in to see you."

Flack and Delanna frowned; they exchanged looks and shook their heads at the same time.

"That must have been him!"

"That what I thought, so just incase I checked around for alibis of all the people who have your room number. Since they all had alibis we put half the department into checking them out. And the other half looks into the list who hate you."

Before Mac could continue Danny interrupted him with an observation.

"Flack, you're still stupid you know that right."

"Danny, give me a break already."

"Danny is right Donny." Delanna stepped into the discussion.

"No, his not!"

"Oh yes I am. Donno you're a stupid jerk and a bastard, no offence Mrs. Flack."

"None taken, please, continue!"

"How could you let that bastard scare you so?"

"I'm not scared for myself. I'm scared for Lindsay."

"Yeah, that son of a bitch threatened her and you drove her away without even asking her opinion."

"So that's why, you were jerk yesterday."

All eyes turned towards the door where Lindsay stood. She looked furious as she walked beside her bed and started shouting.

"I don't get it, does the macho act give you some twisted sense of satisfaction or are really just as stupid as Danny said"

"Lindsay"

"Don't Lindsay me. Do you really think I can't protect myself? I could take care of my self even before I learn to ride a horse.

"Lindsay."

"Shut up and listen. How could I be a cop if I didn't know how to save my own butt?"

Lindsay decided to say everything out, if everything was over then it was over but she would be the one to end it, not Flack.

"Fine, if you want get rid of me then I'll go. I glad to see what you really think of me. You'll get what you wanted. You'll never see me again Flack, I'm going back to Montana." She turned to Mac.

"Consider this my two weeks notice."

Lindsay started to storm out when she heard Flack.

"Angel."

That was all that she needed to start crying.

"What?"

"You're wrong."

"About what?"

"When you leave there will be no Donald Flack Jr. anymore, do you really think that I can recover after you leave me."

"Don, you're too dramatic."

Lindsay turned around to go and sit on Flacks bed. Delanna, Mac and Danny left the room.

"I'm sorry for what I did it but I felt that it was better when you weren't near me to get hurt."

He wiped away her tears.

"Donny, I got more hurt when you tried to drive me away. If you ever try to do something like that again I will beat you so hard that you'll forget your own name."

"I only wanted to protect you Angel."

"I can protect myself detective Flack. I have been doing it for years you know. I can handle everything fate can throw at me as long you're beside me."

"But Lindsay, this is a serial killer we are talking about. His after me and you and I don't want anything to happen to you."

Lindsay looked at Flack; she hadn't told Flack everything about her life but that could wait.

"I can handle myself Donny; you don't need to worry about me."

Flack closed his eyes, he still felt he needed to protect Lindsay somehow but he didn't know how. Everything was in such a mess.

"I know you can. I only need to know that you're alright."

"Don't worry about her, Don." Danny and Mac had entered the room.

"We already have a plan for her.

"What?"

Lindsey asked with subtle disappointment

"We won't let you be alone. Everywhere you go someone will be with you. We have two options for you. You can wither sleep here with Flack or someone will come and stay with you at your flat.

Lindsay started to get irritated.

"Why is everyone suddenly trying to control my life? I'm not some child that has to be watched 24/7."

"Lindsay!"

Flack interrupted her.

"Do it for me, please"

She looked at him and understood.

"Alright I'll sleep here tonight."

"Ok that's final then. Danny stay here with Don, I need to talk to Lindsay for a while." Danny nodded. Lindsey was confused when she followed Mac out the room

"What's going on Mac?"

"We need to talk with Mrs. Flack. Maybe she could tell us something new that we don't know."

Delanna was sitting in the hospital cafeteria.

"Lindsay is everything alright?"

"Yeah, but from now on I have babysitters."

"Lindsay it's for your own safety."

"I know, I know, but I don't have to like it."

Delanna smiled, Lindsey was as stubborn as her son they were an ideal match.

"Mrs. Flack, we have a few questions for you?"

Mac sat at one side of Delanna and Lindsay on the other.

"Please call me Delanna, Mac.

"Delanna"

"Thank you, now, what do you need?"

"We need to know more about Melody and Olivia."

"That much I guessed. I was waiting for you to come and talk to me. If you planning to question my husband then don't bother, Donald doesn't know much about them. Those names only remind him of cases he had at the time. I thank god he is retired now. I'm not saying he was a bad father but he didn't have any interest in Donny's girls."

"Tell us about Melody."

Lindsay felt a little uncomfortable, no woman wanted to know so much about the previous women in her boyfriends' life.

"I remember the time when the Bianchis moved next-door. Melody was such a sweet and nice girl. Donny, Camille and her became good friends right away. She was the calm one of them never getting in any trouble and she was the one who tried to talk others out of insane schemes. When they started dating everything was so perfect for them, I hoped that it would last but it wasn't meant to be. Donny always had had two dreams: becoming professional hockey player or a cop. Melody knew about them but she never liked the idea of Donny becoming a cop. When he got a stipendium to Boston University Melody was happy but when Don decided to become cop she left him. I never understood it. She could stand him being away for months in Boston and becoming a professional hockey player but she could stand the idea of him as a cop. Both those professions are dangerous and she was afraid of the one that would bring her husband home every night. When she left him, Don was crushed. I have never seen him that way, maybe with Olivia but no other and then when Tyler died, she changed, the sweet girl I knew was gone; she was somewhat colder, alone. I never saw her happy again…"

Delanna stopped to think and corrected herself with surprise.

"Sorry, I'm wrong, I did see her happy."

"When?"

"A week, maybe two, before she went missing."

"You don't know why?"

"No, oh wait, I heard she had said to her mother that everything was going to be alright again, but I don't know what she meant by that."

"Thank you Delanna, I sent Stella to Mrs. Bianchi'. Please tell us about Olivia?"

Mac was curious because Mrs. Bianchi didn't tell them anything about Melody being happier.

"Olivia? I never liked that girl."

"Why not?"

Lindsay was more interested in Olivia, the woman who had lied so much to Don.

"I don't know exactly, she seemed unpleasant to me somehow. Something wasn't right with her. I didn't say anything to Don, he seemed happy and I didn't want to ruin anything. Then when they got engaged and I guessed that everything was alright but four months after that they split up. I never really knew the real reason, because when I asked Don he just told me that he was a cop and Olivia hadn't like that."

Lindsay and Mac exchanged looks.

"Thank you Mrs. Flack. Those are all the questions we have. Were going to go and drag Danny away from your son and let you have a time with him."

"It's no problem Mac; take your time and it's Delanna.

"Right, sorry Delanna."

When they reached the elevator Mac looked at Lindsay.

"So, Delanna didn't know about the baby."

"It seems like that, but how come?"

"Try to talk to Flack when come in the evening. I think he feels more comfortable when he's talking to you alone. But know we got to go work."

Lindsay nodded.

* * *

Flack was in middle of watching a hockey game when Lindsay entered the room.

"Backcheck, Backcheck, take the damn puck already would have only 10 seconds left on the clock!"

Lindsay Smirked at the door.

"So that's why they tell me never to leave you and ESPN alone. You try to teach the TV how to play hockey."

"Funny, Monroe, funny." He turned back to the TV when the bell rang "Damn it, they lost!"

"So, what have you been up to?"

"Oh nothing special. Having some fun with tormenting the nurse. Oh, and they let me out from the bed you have no idea how good that felt. They told me that they might give me some minor exercises for my leg tomorrow and until its better I need to use a cane. By the way you were right; they'll let me out on Friday."

"That shows you to trust me."

Lindsay walked to the extra bed that had been brought in a few hours ago. She threw her overnight bag on it and watched Flack.

"Scooch over."

Flack made room fro Lindsey who laid beside him and placed her head on his chest. Flack put his arm around her rested his head against hers.

"We spoke with your mother today."

"About what?"

"Melody and Olivia."

Flack stiffed, those were the names that would hunt him forever.

"We needed to do that."

"Did you find out anything interesting?"

Flack asked with a stern tone.

"Melody had been happier a week or two before she went missing but her mother didn't mention that to Mac and Stella, so Stella went back to ask her why. Sophia told her that she had forgotten but she didn't know why Melody had been happier."

Flack stayed quiet, he knew that something else was coming.

"And you mother didn't know about the baby. Why is that?"

"If I hadn't discovered Olivia in bed with Peter we would have told my parents at that weekend."

"And she would have lied forever to you and her child."

"Her lies would have come out quickly. I saw the little girl; she's the spiting image of Dail."

Silence filled the room as the outside darkness started to fall on a beautiful September's day.

"Donny, don't think about them, let the dead rest."

"I can't, Angel. Not before I get the son of a bitch right in my crosshairs. I own them that much at least. They made me happy once, now I want them to have peace."

"The ghosts of the past are always hard to leave behind."

"I know, Angel, I know."

"At least try to forget about them for a while and concentrate on your recovery. When you're back at work you can put all your energy on that but right now let the team handle it."

"Ok, but why are we talking about these things. I have a beautiful woman in my arms and we're talking about my ex. That won't do."

Lindsay started laughing but it disappeared into a kiss

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, I thnk all who had reveiwed me. And here you afre the chapter 15. I mad everything good again like I promised,but shadows aren't gone. I changed the time line little pitt instead everything happen in the spring, its in the autumn I have a purpose for that wait and see... And the chapter 16 is in writing...wait it soon


	16. Annoying hell out of

It was a lousy day. Another murder she took to heart, she knew she should not but a country girl's murder in NY was something that hurt. The girl reminded her of herself just a few months ago. Lindsay had had a job waiting for her but the other poor girls that had come to the big city hoping for a fame and glory but finding only heartache. She and Hawkes had solved that crime with ease. Crimes of passion, although very dramatic, were always easy to solve; her boyfriend who had come to take her back to the country had murdered her because she had refused to leave.

When she got back to the lab, she started scanning the evidence from Melody's and Olivia's murders hoping she had missed something. She had to find something to end everybody's misery. Those murders had turned her life upside down.

She was looking at the lock that Hawkes had collected from Olivia's murder scene. Since there were no scratch marks on the lock, it meant that the killer had to have had a key. Terry Swans both keys were still with her; Mac and Sheldon had seen them. Terry Swan didn't know Flack and she didn't have motive. Her phone interrupted her thoughts.

"Detective Monroe."

"_Lindsay, this is Donald._" Don's father always called her only one reason when he was annoyed.

"What did he do this time?"

"_Oh he is bitching again._" Lindsay grinned, good thing that she was told about their family inside joke. "Donald you have been to long with your son-in-law again."

"_Hey, his sentences stick. But back to my son, he sulking and back talking and he won't do anything he's asked._"

"Donald you forget he is always talking back."

"_Yeah I know, but now he's being a real pain in the ass._"

"But what can I do about that?"

"_Would you come down here and beat some sense into him._" Lindsay rubbed her forehead. Don had been released from hospital for over three weeks and in that time he had done everything to make his family and friends want to kill him. Five days ago, his doctors had given him the green light to take long walks but he always needs someone to walk beside him. Before that, he had been like an angry lion in a cage.

"I think of something, I'll go and talk to Mac."

"_Like Donny says, you're an Angel._" Well, now there were two Flacks who threw compliments at her both Senior and junior.

She found Mac in his office.

"Hey Mac, can I go home?"

"What's the problem?"

"Oh he is 6 foot 4, with black hair, blue eyes and he is called Don Flack."

Mac smirked, "He's driving his father crazy again?"

"Yeah, his mother has more patients with him."

"I think we can handle without you. Go and make his life hell. And ask Danny to drop you of there."

"Thanks Mac."

When Lindsay got to Flacks apartment Donald was waiting by the door and ready to go.

"He's frustrated; I think he will start breaking things soon."

"Go home, I can handle this. I think I know what to do." But she had no idea what to do.

"You're sure?"

"I'll try not to kill him."

"Okay, bye." And gone he was.

Lindsay dropped her keys on the table and walked into the living room where Flack walked around like a caged animal.

"So what did the doctor said to you?"

Flack wasn't even surprised that Lindsay was there. He was so use to seeing Lindsey after his father could not handle him. His mother had done that also few times but she had more control over him.

"What did they say?!" that got Flack angry; he grabbed a vase from a cupboard and threw it against a wall. Lindsay stood calmly beside the sofa.

"They said that I can't go back to work for a month." Fleck considered himself totally healed but everyone else saw the reality. His wound wasn't properly healed yet and he got tired quickly. His left leg wasn't functioning like it should and he was still taking painkillers.

"You poor thing."

"Don't patronize me, Monroe."

"I won't, if you stop acting like a child."

"A Child?" then all his anger and frustration was gone, before Lindsay there stood a vulnerable man, when all his defenses were down he looked like a teenager, sometimes Lindsay had wondered how could there be so many sides to one man. A tough cop, a fun loving child, a vulnerable teenager and a caring man who sometimes didn't give a damn about anything.

"Go change your cloths, I'll call a cab. We're going out."

"What's wrong with my cloths now?" Lindsay gave him a pointed look. Flack looked himself: torn jeans and worn blue T-shirt.

"Alright, I'll go change." Lindsay smiled.

When he came back to the living room he wore black jeans, and a T-shirt what was too familiar for Lindsay, it said: _ All I want is peace in the Middle East and… a blow job._ Leather jacket and on feet he were Converse. Lindsay chuckled, "You couldn't resist it, could you?"

"Nope, it was to tempting."

"You look like you're back in high school."

"Hey, I need to amuse myself with something. When I look like that no one think that I'm a 29 year old cop but an 18 year old kid."

"Come on, grab your cane."

"Where are we going?"

"It's for me to know and for you to find out."

When they sat in the cab, Lindsay told the address to the driver so Flack didn't hear it. The ride was quiet. Flack looked out of the window trying to figure out where they were going but it was of no use. He even thought about asking Lindsey, but he knew it would be pointless – Lindsey could keep secrets. He kept looking at the landmarks that he could recognize only to realize just as the cab stopped.

"You're taking me to the Central park."

"Of course, look how beautiful it is today. The Park is the perfect place to walk and calm down." Flack did a face to her and started walking leaning on his cane little more heavily than the day before, his left leg still bothered him.

"How's your leg?"

"Fine."

Lindsay fell into the same pace as him.

"Flack?" Lindsay asked in an irritated tone

"Okay its bit stiff and hurts a little but its fine, honestly."

Lindsay decided to drop it. They walked side by side and enjoyed the autumn weather.

"It's my favorite time of the year, you know." She turned her face to the sky, "when the leaves start changing their color and the sun is softer than in the summer. I remember the autumns back in Montana. Those are my favorite memories from my childhood."

"You're strange woman, you now that?"

"Oh yeah! What your favorite time of the year then?"

"Winter." He said without thinking for a second.

"Winter! Why?" Lindsay had always suspected Flack to be a spring kind of guy.

"I don't know why exactly but it's a beautiful time of year, calm, everything is white in the park and the streets a muddy and slippery so the suspects don't want to run."

"I knew that you find some strange logic in it."

"Hey what's wrong with my logic? Those bastards always run, I don't get their logic what does it help, we always get them. But in the winter they don't run so much they're afraid that they'll break their bones."

"You're strange man Flack."

"And because of that, you love me."

"And just what makes you think that I love you?"

"You told me."

"Maybe I lied." She took a few steps further down the path.

"You know that I can't run but I can pull you down with my cane."

Lindsay smirked; she stood beside Flack who had hooked his hand behind her head, "You know I love you, even if you do act like a jerk sometimes."

"And I love you even if you boss me around." Flack chuckled and kissed Lindsay.

"Euww." A mother with her eight year old boy passed them. The mother frowned and the boy made a disgusting face at them.

"Come Donny; let's get you back at home."

* * *

When Flack opened his apartment door he felt something was wrong.

"What's wrong Donny?" Flack only shook his head at Lindsay and walked into the living room.

"What is it annoy-hell-out-of-Flack Day?"

"No, its revenging-Flack-for-annoying-us-for-29-years day." Patrick and Colin smirked from the sofa.

"Donny, Stella is going to pick me up we are going to go shopping. I'll leave you to enjoy your time with your friends." Before Flack could say anything Lindsay was out of the door.

"I knew that I shouldn't have given Pat a key."

"Oh, do you want us to leave you alone?" Colin stepped next to Flack and put his hand on his friends shoulder.

"Yeah, I would like that very much."

"No can do." Colin pushed Flack gently on the sofa.

"Why not?"

"Because we have orders." Both his best friends stood before him.

"Orders? From who?"

"Your mother." Patrick and Colin said in unicent. They looked each other and started laughing. Flack groaned it was going to be very long evening.

"Oh, I should have known that." He stood and went to change his clothes. When he came back Colin was doing something in the kitchen and Patrick was putting away his phone.

"We ordered pizza." Patrick smirked.

"Your paying, Donny." Colin yelled from the kitchen.

"Why is it that every time you crash into my place, which happens 75 times a year, I must pay for everything you order." Flack frowned and crossed his arms.

"Oh I don't know, maybe because we are your best friends."

"You forget that every time when you crash in one of our places we pay. Oh right, we can't drink at my place because of the family and that jumbo in the kitchen doesn't have a normal home to crash too."

"Or is it just that you like to annoy me."

Patrick and Colin, who had come out from the kitchen with two beers, exchanged glances, "Pat he's on to us. How did he catch on to us so quickly?"

"He is a smart one. We have trained him well."

Flack smirked even if those two were getting on his nerves; it was good to have them with him.

"Here you go, a beer Pat," he turned to Flack, "You can't have any, your on meds."

"I hate you guys."

"Your job here is done Col." And they started laughing again.

A Few hours later when Colin and Patrick had drank enough beer to be little bit drunk. Pat somehow managed to direct their talk to women, Flack didn't have a clue as to how Pat had managed that but he had. When Patrick and Colin were discussing Lindsay Flack tuned out because he already knew what they thought of her. Even if Flack had protested in the beginning he had enjoyed his company, he had laughed so hard that he was afraid he would hurt himself again.

When he looked at Colin he saw that somewhere during this fooling around he had changed, he had become sadder and quieter. Now Flack understood what had happened.

"Colin?"

"Yeah, Don?"

"You still in love with Lauren aren't you? That's why you haven't found yourself a woman yet."

"You're sometimes to smart for your own good."

"I know."

"Want to talk about it." Patrick looked at Colin.

"What is there to talk about," Colin shifted from sad to angry, "I loved her, still do." He looked at both of his friends, "You know, sometimes I am so jealous of you two. You, Pat, have Camille and two beautiful children and you Don, Melody hurt you so much, but you still found the strength to go on with your life. And now you've found you're happiness with Lindsay. But I can't move on, every time I let myself slip, I see her in that goddamn hospital bed taking her last breaths."

"We're sorry man."

"Please would everybody stop feeling sorry for me! It just happened and now I must move on. We must live it as it comes. Now, let's talk about some a little less depressing. Do you know what Alex did when he was in Paris…?" The evening continued with amusing tales but that part of the evening hung heavily in the air.

* * *

A/N: I'm back sorry it took me so long to but this chapter up, but me and my beta-reader, had exams and their were killing us, but finally it's up and I'm writing the 17 chapter as we speak. So it will be up soon. No I have worryd myself because I feel like I have writen Lindsay and Flack out of the character, please tell me if I'm wrong or right.


	17. It's the same as two before

Flack was frustrated, he still had two more weeks to go before he could go back to work and he couldn't even seek solace from a bottle because he still had one week of meds to go. All this boredom and inactivity made him so bitchy that only Lindsay could stand him for more than a couple of hours; everyone else ran screaming from him. His brooding was momentarily stopped by the doorbell but it returned as he saw Danny grinning at him after opening the door.

"It's your day with me, right?" Flack groaned

"Now what gave you that idea?!"

"Maybe the smirk on your face and the pizza box in your hand!"

"Oh the little detective is still in you."

"Grow up, Danny."

"I can't if you're sulking like this."

"I don't sulk."

Danny rolled his eyes, "Yes you do. Now eat the pizza and after that we are going for a ride."

Flack made a face at him and grabbed the box, "You're a pain in the ass you know that?"

"Look who's talking." Danny followed Flack into the living room. "Oh God, she was right."

"What now?" Flack hated that everyone thought they knew what was best for you when you are ill.

"Montana just warned me that you have gone crazy and are cleaning everything, she was right." He looked around the room; vacuum cleaner was still connected and the room was filled with strange boxes.

"Man, you should see someone." Flack just gave him the New York hello.

* * *

Flack was in a foul mood. As he looked out of the car window he started to sulk again and Danny decided to blow some life in his best friend.

"So you're coming back to work in two weeks?"

"Yeah, so?"

"It's going to be fun."

"Why? You're not going to drop a bucket of pink paint on me again, are you?"

"No, I'm going to see how you kill de Boise."

"Why should I kill de Boise, has he done anything to me."

"Oh I don't know, maybe because he's hitting on Montana."

"What!?" That was the response what Danny had hoped.

"After learning that Montana was your girlfriend, he is trying every line in the book to enchant her."

"He is what?" Danny saw the glint coming back to his friends eyes.

"You heard me the first time."

"Oh, now I'm definitely going to kill him."

"Good because you don't have to hide the body or the evidence. Me, Montana, Mac, Stella, Sheldon, Adam and Mary are going to hide them for you."

"So he has made some "friends" in the lab."

"Definitely, we all love him to pieces." Flack started laughing he hadn't done that in days.

"So would you tell me were we're going?"

"I'm going to show you a car I think I'm going to lease."

"So you are going to get a new car?"

"Yeah and I want to have your opinion about it."

Flack had been quiet all through the test drive listening to Danny praise his choice.

"So, what do you think" Danny asked with the biggest smile possible.

"You want to lease yourself a Mercedes?" Flack asked as they sat back into their car.

"Yeah, I'm pushing the paperwork through so that I could get it for my birthday next week."

"A Mercedes, Danny."

"Don't growl, Donno. It's going to be my car not your's." Their little bantering was stopped by Danny's pager going off. "Hey, I'm supposed to have the day off." Flack smirked, that was a part of his job he didn't miss.

"I'm going to have to take you back home." Danny said hitting the gas pedal, "They have a homicide and shortage of CSIs."

"Don't worry about me." Flack hoped that he could have some peace and quiet.

* * *

Danny arrived on the crime scene same time as Lindsay.

"So what do we have?"

"I didn't get the details but de Boise is here, he'll tell us."

"Oh, I'm not in the mood for another lecture on how bad we are in our work." He said grabbing his kit from the car.

"So you haven't heard the news yet?"

Danny synchronized his step with Lindsay's, "No."

"I'm going to enjoy this, there's finally something I knew before you." The smile lit up Lindsay's face.

"Oh, don't be so smug and just tell me what you know."

"De Boise just submitted a transfer request to Chicago."

"You're kidding?" He looked at Lindsay's face, "You're not kidding; we'll finally be rid of Buckface."

"Danny!" Lindsay scolded but started laughing as well.

"So let's talk about other things, how's Flack?"

"Grumpy as usual."

"I thought as much. I hope that when he comes back to work in two weeks he will be back to his old self:"

"Don't get your hopes up, we have irritated him for too long, he'll find a way to make our lives miserable."

"That's my Donny." Lindsey smiled.

"Well, well Messer and Monroe" said De Boise interrupting their little conversation as he stepped out of from the church.

"And a good day to you too." Lindsay smiled sweetly but in her mind she was thinking out ways to murder that goddamn detective.

"Hello Lindsay, what are you doing tonight? Maybe we could go out and have dinner." Danny stiffened, that goddamn Buckface was hitting on to his brothers – Danny considered Don has a brother – girlfriend, but he let Lindsay handle him.

"I'm sorry Carl, but tonight I'm going to sit before TV with my boyfriend drinking wine and eating Uncle Ralf's lasagna." De Boise mouth was hanging open, he had tried for four weeks ask Lindsay out but she always said no, he couldn't understand what did Flack have that he didn't.

"Carl, would you please tell us about the case."

De Boise quickly got himself together, "All that I can say is that we're dealing with one sick bastard." Walking further down the aisle Lindsay and Danny understood what he meant by that. Before the altar there laid a body of a woman. She was stripped naked and place there with her hair covering her face and her hands and feet spread apart.

"Danny, doesn't this scene remind you of something?"

"A little too much, I hope we're wrong."

De Boise interrupted their discussion again.

"She was found this morning by father Jones. The only things that we found at the scene were her keys and purse but no ID. The church is open 24/7 and neither Father Jones nor the night guard saw or heard anything."

"Danny, I think it's time to call Mac."

"Montana wait, lets process the body first. We don't know if we're right yet."

De Boise left the two and went to talk to the priest. "Father Jones."

"Yes." The priest lifted his head from prayer.

"I'm detective de Boise. Can you answer some questions?"

"I can try but I can't promise anything." De Boise sat beside the priest on the bench.

"Let's begin from last night. When did you leave?"

"Well, I left around 9 pm after checking everything, Tom Wearn the other guard was still on duty; Rich Howard replaced him at 11 pm. I left through the side door that is always kept locked. Everything was normal."

"What happened this morning?"

"I came in at about 10 am, I start taking confessions at 11 am, Rich had just left. Then I saw her, lying there before the altar."

"And the side door was locked when you came in."

"Yes."

"Thank you. Could you tell me where I could find this Rich Howard?"

"He is sitting two rows back."

"Here's my card if you remember anything else." De Boise walked to the night guard.

"Rich Howard?"

"Yes." The man seemed more bothered by the murder than the priest.

"I'm detective de Boise, could you answer a few questions."

"I can try."

"So, you arrived at 11 pm?"

Howard looked the Jesus painted behind the altar, "Yes, after Tom left I checked everything, the side door was locked and there was no body before altar. The night was quiet, two women came and left at around 3 am and that was all."

"Everything was quiet. I didn't even saw her there, I learn about the body when father Jones called me."

"So nothing happened."

"No, sorry." De Boise scowled, maybe Lindsay was right and that woman there was one of Flacks – It seemed like that.

"Thanks, here's my card if you remember anything."

In the mean time, Lindsay and Danny were finishing processing the body and the scene.

"There's nothing here, Lindsay, she is wiped clean."

Lindsay lifted her eyes from the camera, "So should I call Mac?"

"Wait a little I'll turn the body around then we'll see." Lindsay stepped closer.

"Oh god."

"That sick bastard. Make that call, Montana."

"You know her?" She had had a bad feeling about that case from the beginning.

"Yeah, she's Samantha Fitzryan. Don dated her three years ago." Danny closed his eyes – the message engraved on the stomach of this poor woman would hunt him forever. "_Well Flack, you forgot to protect your back. Still believe in God?_"

Danny had liked Sam, she was wonderful woman, but she had moved to Los Angeles for business, and the long distance relationship didn't work for them. Now she was lying dead in a church in New York City with her body being used to mock God and Flack.

"So this is our secondary crime scene?" Danny turned around, Mac stood behind him.

"How did you get here so fast?"

"I came to help you with this case, seems that my feeling was right."

"You suspected that it was another one against Flack?" Lindsay looked at the face off the young woman who had been before her.

"Yes, the murder scene description was too familiar. Lindsay, you can have the rest of the day off, go and tell Don." Lindsay only nodded and left.

"Carl did you get anything from the priest and the guard."

"No, as usual no one saw or heard anything."

Mac rubbed his face. "Danny, if you're finished processing the body send it to morgue and send the evidence to Mary, then come to my office. I'll try to find some of her relatives."

"Right boss."

* * *

Don was lying on the couch, watching Jake and the Fatman second season from the DVD, Colin had given him all 5 seasons for his birthday because it was his childhood favorite, being one of the reasons he became a cop. He was in the middle of "Why can't you behave?" when his cell rang, the number was hidden but at that moment he didn't care.

"Yeah, Flack."

"_Now is that a polite way to answer a phone, Flack?_" That voice – Don sat up immediately.

"What to you want, asshole?"

"_Just to talk! I heard that you and your precious team aren't getting any closer to figuring out who I am. Poor, poor policemen, how can you be so simpleminded?_"

"Who are you? How do you know these things?"

"_It's for me to know and for you to find out. I'm closer to you than you think and at the same time so far, far away._"

"Goddamn it, don't play riddles with me?"

"_But I enjoy it. Tell me Flack did you really think that I'll go after Lindsay first. You're a fool, but hey, that's what I like about you. So I made you a present, I think Lindsay found her. Enjoy._" The phone went mute. Flack was in shock. The only thing he could do was look at the phone. Few minutes later it rang.

"Yeah, Zack did you get anything?"

"_Sorry, the call was still too short._"

"Thanks anyways."

"_Your welcome._"

Don closed the phone, another one but why, who was this guy? Why the hell did he want to hurt him? What had he done to deserve something like that? Was it because he was a good cop or did he hurt someone in his teenage years.

"Donny?" Flack came out from the haze he had been so immerged in that he hadn't even heard when Lindsay came in.

"Who did he kill?"

"What?" Lindsay didn't understand how Flack could know that she had come to tell him about another murder.

"Lindsay, who did that son of a bitch kill?"

"Samantha Fitzryan."

It hurt, so much. Again because of him, some crazy had killed a good woman, "Why her!"

"I don't know Donny."

"How did he do it?"

"Like Melody and Olivia. But this time he was crueler?"

Flack lifted his eyes, "What to you mean?"

"He left you a message carved into Samantha's stomach."

"What?" Flack was lost for words; the pain was so great that he couldn't breathe. He closed his eyes and read to ten, he felt Lindsay's hand on his back.

"What was the message?"

"_Well Flack, you forgot to protect your back. Still believe in God?_"

"He knows me well, too well."

"What are you saying?" Lindsay sat beside him and hugged him tightly.

"My mother raised me as a catholic, hell my roots are Italic an Irish - it is in my blood to be a catholic but I never was much into it, I went to church to please my mother, I believe in god, but not the way that true catholic should. I don't go Mass and I haven't been to confession in a long time. My mother has accepted my way, thank heavens she's more liberal in relational believing. But the murderer knows that and uses it against me. That's what the riddle meant."

"What riddle."

"He called me, that's how I knew he had killed someone and gave me a riddle – "_I'm closer to you than you think and at the same time so far, far away._"He meant that he knows everything about me, but for me it's hard to find him or he could be meaning something completely different." At that moment, he started to cry and Lindsay held him tighter. The tough New York cop felt like a little boy in her arms.

* * *

Somewhere in the city a maniac was smiling, everything was going as planned. Soon it will end and he will finally have his revenge.

* * *

**A/N: So here is te chapter 17, I hope you enjoy. But the chapter 18 will be delaied, because I'm going to take a trip for nine days, and I don't take my laptop with me, but I promise to take my notebook with me so I try to write it in there and post as soon as I can. And again enjoy, there will be 5 or 6 chapters more and then come the end.**


	18. Suprises and coming back

A/N: I'm back. Sorry, that it took me almost half a year to write the eighteenth chapter, but I finally did it.

I'm not going to bore you the reasons why it took me so long.

But I want to say that if I calculate correctly it should be only four chapters more and I hope to write them quickly.  
But now Enjoy the chapter.

* * *

The lab was strangely quiet at 3 pm when Danny came back from church. He had processed the crime scene for three hours and he hoped that Adam or Kendall had found something from amongst the evidence he had sent to the lab, but he frowned because Mary, not Adam or Kendall, was processing his evidence. He knew that he was going to have another wit fight with her and he wasn't in the mood for that.

"Goddamn."

"Don't swear in my lab, Messer."

"It's not your lab."

"When I'm in this lab, you don't swear." Danny frowned; Adam and Kendall were processing Stella and Sheldon's crime scene evidence across the room.

"So, what have you got for me?"

"I looked thru her bag; she had everything that a woman needs, nothing strange. Oh, and I checked the keys she was staying at the Waldorf."

"Who was paying the bills, she herself, or her company."

"Messer, it's your job to find that out." Danny made a face to her. Mary smirked; she was getting under Danny's skin again.

"I also cleaned the cover of the matchbox you found." Danny stepped closer; he had found a matchbox under the bench near the body.

"So what is on it?"

"Lachesis."

"What? Show me."

"Here." Mary looked puzzled when Danny took a closer look at the box. "Shit, it can't be."

"What is it?" Mary was so interested that she didn't even scold Danny for swearing.

"Lachesis is Flacks uncle's restaurant."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure I have eaten there many times."

"The murderer knows Flack well."

"Yes and it also has another meaning, Lachesis is the Greek goddess of destiny, the measurer of lifelines."

"It's symbolical in both ways."

"Yeah, by the way, talking about eating, would you want to go out to dinner with me?" Mary looked at Danny as if he was crazy.

"Messer what did you inhale in that church?"

"Nothing!"

"Then you're serious?"

"Yeah, I want us to have dinner sometime, together."

"Tell me, why would I want to go out with you?"

"I don't know, maybe because I'm handsome, funny and quick-witted."

"Messer, I'll let you in on a little secret, even if I was threatened to be tortured with hot pikes and thrown into a pit with king cobras, I wouldn't go out with you."

"Why not!?" Danny asked with genuine amazement, he had been so certain that Mary would agree.

"Because you have one of the biggest egos I ever have seen. You think you're Gods greatest gift to womankind."

Danny watched her in shock, "So you're saying no?"

"Of course I'm saying no and I think that you should leave me alone now. I have some processing to do and Mac said that he would be waiting for you in the morgue when you get back in." Danny shook his head in amazement and walked out.

The next moment Adam stood beside Mary, "Why did you say no, I know you want to go out with him."

Mary smirked, "I'll let him fry a little, I want him to see that not every woman is as loose as he thinks."

"You're mean!"

"Yes, I know that, but hey, that's the way I like it." Adam walked back to Kendall with a smirk on his face and a minute later they both started laughed hard.

* * *

Lindsay leaned on to the kitchen door; dammit she should kill that bastard when they get him. Just as they were getting Flack back, he had started pacing like caged lion again.

"Donno?"

"I don't know what to do anymore."

"What to you mean?" Lindsay stepped closer and saw Flack taking a step back. Not this again!

"Everyone I care about is getting hurt. It seems like that I shouldn't love at all."

"Flack, stop it right there. Think what you're talking about. Everyone deserves love; don't let that bastard get into your head. We will get him and he won't hurt you anymore. Try to get it through that thick skull of yours – this is not your fault, none of it is."

Flack shook his head and started pacing again. Lindsay frowned; it was time to call in the cavalry.

She walked into the kitchen and called the only person who could help her at that point. "Hey, could you do me a favor."

* * *

Mac was talking to Sid in the morgue just as Danny stepped in.

"Hey, you wanted to see me."

Mac turned, "Yeah, I thought you should be here when we look over the body."

Sid looked, "I don't have anything to tell you that you don't know already. She has been dead three or four days like Melody and Olivia."

"Let me guess? She died of a cocaine overdose?" Mac looked Samantha's arms.

"You guessed right. She was raped just like the others; the rapist used condoms so no sperm. There isn't any hair or fingerprints either. Nothing!"

"What about the words." Danny felt cold shivers go up to his spine when he looked at those words.

"That is one of the sickest thing I have ever seen. As much as I could tell he has used same sharp object he used on Olivia's body and washed her body clean after writing."

"Do you have anything new to tell us? Most serial killers would have slipped up by now."

"No, but I'll work on it and let you know as soon as I find something."

"Thanks Sid." Danny walked out with Mac.

"You got something from Mary?"

"You mean besides the usual sarcastic responses and a huge ego crushing?"

"Yeah." Mac smirked, that's why he liked Mary – she was able to hold her ground with Danny.

"Samantha's keys are from the Waldorf and the matchbox I found is "Lachesis's""

"Could we make it so that you didn't tell me the last thing?" Mac massaged his temples, this day was just getting better and better.

"Sorry Mac! What did you find out?"

"She has only a great-aunt who lives in Australia and who is 96 years old, no other close relatives. She hasn't kept in touch with any of her friends she had three years ago. I hadn't had time to call Los Angels yet."

"So we are back in the beginning."

"No, not yet, take Sheldon and go search her room, he and Stella just got back from their last case."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll make some calls."

* * *

Lindsay sighed; she had convinced Don to take a nap an hour ago so she could put her plan into action. If she was right, her boyfriend should sleep a half an hour more that should give her and her and her partner in crime time to finish planning. She hoped that it would work. She knew that raising Don's spirit, when he had buried himself into a dark hole, was going to be hard but she hadn't given up before and she wasn't about to start now.

"Lindsay!" A quiet call came from the living room, just in the nick of time to execute her plan.

When Flack woke up half an hour later the apartment was quiet, usually when Lindsay was there he could hear her when he woke up.

He walked out of the room. The apartment was dark, the only light came from the living room; he stopped in shock as he stepped in. There were on only two lamps on – one beside the couch and other beside the armchair; two armchairs had been dragged closer to the coffee table and Lindsay was sitting on the couch wearing a vest on a white blouse and a black hat. Just like in the old gangster movies where the characters played poker.

"Donny! Welcome to monopoly night, we thought you should relax a little."

"We?" that was the only thing what Flack registered from that sentence.

"Uncle Doe, am I really invisible?" April was sitting smilingly in one of the armchairs; she was dressed like Lindsay.

"I just didn't see you there," Flack laughed and pulled April into a strong hug, "So would one of you like to explain all of this."

"I think Lindsay should to that, because it was her idea."

Flack let April go and sat in the other armchair, "So?"

"Well I though that we should to something fun. So I though I could organize you a poker night like in the old movies. Then I thought why a poker night, monopoly night would be much more fun and April came to help me with it. So here we are." Flack could only smirk. His Angel and his sunshine lifted his mood. It all looked really like the old poker game scenes but the cigarettes and whisky were replaced by lollypops and dark lemonade.

Flack looked at Lindsay, "Thank you."

"No problem."

"Let me guess, you'll be the banker again?" Don asked With raised eyebrow.

"Of course! April didn't want to be and she will tell everyone who would listen that you cheat."

"I do not."

"Yes you do, uncle Don, now shut up and play. You may even have the racecar."

Flack looked at her strangely; April's left eyebrow went high "What?"

"You're giving me the racecar? Freely?"

"Yeah and so?"

"That won't do, squirt."

"Why not, uncle Don?"

"Because you have to fight me for it, that's the tradition." April smiled at him wickedly.

"Okay, I want the racecar."

"You can't have it, its mine."

"Why must you always take it?"

"Because it's mine, my own, my precious." Flack did perfect impression of Gollum.

"You're crazy, you know that uncle Don."

"Oh I'm crazy, look who's talking."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean."

"Really April, you're my niece and you can't understand something so simple?"

April sent him a mock expression of angriness, "I'm not crazy, uncle Don."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

Lindsay looked with amusement at Flack and Aprils bickering. It seemed like Don was back at last, then she remembered how many times she had thought that, but she hoped. Lindsay chuckled as she looked at Don and April, there sat the man who called her and Danny kindergarten children. If that is not sing of recovery, then she was Dalai Lama.

* * *

Hawkes and Messer stepped into Samantha's hotel room at the Waldorf.

"So what did you got from the reception desk?" Sheldon put his kit down.

"That Samantha registered into hotel for three weeks, a week and a half ago and also that she hasn't been in for a week."

"So he has a pattern. He kidnaps them, tortures them for three days and then kills them." Sheldon walked to the bed.

Danny walked to desk by the window, "We have her computer, do you think maybe we could get some answers from here."

"Maybe, you can never be certain with women, they save things that men think useless." Sheldon mumbled and examined the bed sheets with ultraviolet lamp.

"Yes, usually the things what men think useless are actually important."

"There aren't any bodily fluids on the sheets. I'll go and look around in the bathroom."

"I'll examine this room, because it seems like I have to give this thing to Zack. She had her computer under lock and key."

After an hour Sheldon and Danny meet up again in the middle of the room.

"So, what did you find?" Danny put a plastic bag into his kit.

"The bathroom is like all bathrooms, normal things for personal hygiene, and only one set of fingerprints. I think there are Samantha's."

"Same here, no personal effects, only the computer, it seems like she came here and planed stay only few days, but why then would she reserve this room for three weeks. I found also one set of fingerprints and one red hair, but I am afraid that those are also Samantha's."

"Lets go, we can't do anything else here." Sheldon grabbed his kit. As he headed for the door, he suddenly noticed something.

"Danny, didn't you see this?" Sheldon crouched down and picked up a white piece of cloth from under the cupboard.

"It was so against the wall that I didn't notice it. What is it?" Danny asked standing next to Sheldon.

Hawkes smelled the cloth, "Chloroform! Is he getting sloppy?"

"No, I think he left it on purpose. Mac and Stella found one from Melody's apartment. He is sending us a message, and I think it say's, "You can hunt me, but you can't find me.""

"I think you're right, but that means he took her with him from here and if I know correctly Waldorf has video cameras on every floor." A hopeful smile formed on Hawkes face.

"I call Mac; you go and find hotel chief of security." Danny smirked.

* * *

Don was looking at the ending of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and he wardrobe". April had fallen a sleep forty-five minutes ago by his left side and Lindsay an half an hour later by his right side. He couldn't feel his arms anymore but he was happy. April had kicked both his and Lindsay's butts in monopoly and as the winner she wanted to watch Narnia.

Flack felt like his own self again, a feeling that had eluded him for a long time. His Angel and Sunshine had finally accomplished what they had tried to do for weeks – bring back the Don Flack they all knew and loved.

April shifted herself into a more comfortable position when in the movie Mr. Tumnuse put a crown on Peter's head.

Flack shook his head; he didn't know where he had been lost – he had fallen into some kind of a depressive black hole that had closed its walls around him so hard that he had forgotten how to be himself.

It was all starting to come back; he remembered that the most important thing in life wasn't him – but his family, friends and team. His eye shifted on the pictures on the bureau, there was something different about them, he had felt it a week ago when he had looked them. However, his brain hadn't registered what it was then. Nevertheless, now he saw it, Lindsay had added a picture of herself amongst the other. Discovering that something clicked inside of him, at last detective Donald Flack Jr. had pulled himself together, put every piece in its right place, and it felt good.

Don kissed Lindsay gently, when in the movie Professor and Lucy walked out from the spear room, "Wake up sleeping beauty, it is time to put the kid to bed."

Lindsay stirred, when she opened her eyes she was confused about the place and the words. Then she recognized the room and saw Flacks smiling face, "Oh, hey."

"You slept through the ending of the movie."

"Sorry, I was tired."

"You're not the only one." They both looked at sleeping April.

"We should wake her." Flack pushed a stray lock from Aprils face.

"Why?"

"Because I cant lift heavy things until the end of next week and she is too heavy for you."

"She is nine years old, how heavy can she be?"

"You would be surprised."

"You know I can walk myself." Suddenly came a voice from Flack left side.

"You should be sleep." Don frowned.

"I was until you started arguing about how heavy I'm. Every decent girl wakes up to that."

"Very funny, now go to bed."

April rolled her eyes, "Yes, uncle Don." She started going but stopped at the door and walked back and kissed Flack on the cheek, "I love you, uncle Don. Good night."

"And I love you to. Now scoot." April ran out from the door.

"You should be in bed too. You have to go work tomorrow." Don looked at Lindsay.

"You're right. Come on." Lindsay pulled Flack up.

In another part of the city a man was smiling, a little bit more and he would finally have his revenge.


	19. About fun and Birthdays

**A/N: I'm back. Sorry it took me so long, but studding in the university isn't all fun and games I head over heels with work. But here is the 19 chapter, the 20th is also done I maybe post it in the end of the week, will see. And those who enjoy my writing there will be another Authors Note in the end of this chapter. But now enjoy.**

* * *

The clock struck four. Mac smirked as he started counting, "5; 4; 3; 2..." As he got to one, Adam turned up the music.

A few seconds later Flack stepped into his office, "Tell me, why does he have to do that every time?"

"Because he thinks it's fun."

"Yeah, fun. I'll show him what fun is." Flack pushed the door shut with a bang.

"Please don't hurt him too much; he does come in handy sometimes." Mac grinned, when Don landed on the chair before his desk.

"I see about that."

"Now, I heard you have some news for me."

"Well the station therapist gave me an "all clear" and Dr. Lee gave me a green light as well, so I talked to Sinclair and I'm coming back to work on Wednesday."

Mac nodded, "That is good news. De Boise took over the Bianchi's, Dale's and Fitzryan's case."

"No problem. I just want to know how it's going."

Mac covered his ears as Adam turned the music up some more, "We'll tell you in about an hour after we've gathered into the break room to give Danny's his birthday present. But for now please go and give Adam a piece of your mind, because this music is starting to go also on my nerves."

"Yes, sir. Now I can tell him that I'm under orders." When Flack walked out whistling Mac groaned, he understood he had just made a big mistake.

Flack walked past the lab where Danny, Stella and Mary were processing some evidence.

"Where Flack is going?" Mary asked looking puzzled.

"Oh, I think, we know." Danny and Stella smirked and followed Don.

"Where?" asked Mary again following the two.

"You'll see." Mary frowned as she saw Danny smirking; it had to be good, why else would Stella and Messer look so pleased. When Don stopped standing next to Adam's office, Mary finally got it.

A few seconds latter Lindsay, Sheldon and Kendall stepped behind them.

"Adam." Don said from the door, he knew that Adam had heard him over the music, but acted as if he didn't.

"Adam." Said Flack little louder when he stepped closer. Adam again acted like he didn't notice him.

"ADAM!" this time Don yelled straight into the lab techs ear. That made Adam jump, he had heard Flack other two times, but he didn't expect him to yell into his ear.

"Oh, Flack it's you. What can I do to for you?"

"You could turn that freaking music down." Adam saw that Flack was dead serious.

"I like it. I don't want to turn it down."

"Adam, I'm going to give you four possibilities of what can happen next. First: You could turn the music down and we can depart as friends. Second: I could shove your music center up your ass. Third: I could throw the music center out of the window and fourth: I could just shoot it up. I prefer first two, because the latter ones could send me back to the therapy and they could take away my gun." He looked at Adam, "So which of the first two options you'll take – you can turn the music down and enjoy it or you could be tormented forever by the music coming out of your ass." Flack heard giggles coming from the door, he almost smirked but held it back, he had to seem angry.

Adam clumped "Those are my only choices?"

"Yes!" Flack took step closer.

"Alright, alright! I'll turn it down."

When Adam did as he said, Flack walked into the corridor with a smirk on his face.

"Shoot up the music center?" Hawkes raised his left eyebrow.

"Well if it would have helped, I would have done it." Flack grinned and walked whistling down the corridor.

"He's crazy, just plain crazy. I tell you." Danny chuckled, others nodded at that.

* * *

Hour later Flack sat in the break room, drinking coffee and flipping the TV stations.

It was the first time working with the CSI that he had felt so bored in the lab.

Stella stepped in, "Bored?"

"Like hell." Flack smirked.

Stella chuckled and walked to the coffee machine and pored herself a cup. She tasted it, wondering expression appeared on her face and she tasted it again, "Don, you did this coffee, didn't you?"

"Yeah, it was Kendall's turn to make coffee, but she was busy and asked me to do it."

"Thank you, she makes coffee just as bad as Mac. I don't understand how could we managed when you where gone. It seems as if we had been drinking mud."

"Watch out, when Kendall and Mac hear you say that you will find yourself somewhere very unpleasant." Said Sid walking into the break room, "If I'm right that is Flack's coffee," he grabbed a mug, "You know I could kill for this coffee."

"I hope not the maker." Flack half smiled.

"No, I would lock you in one of rooms in morgue and have you make coffee all the time."

"Sorry, Sid, that pleasure is mine." Lindsay sat on the couch beside Flack and drank his coffee.

"Wait a minute, it's mine." Don protested

"Be a good boyfriend and share." Lindsay smiled sweetly and put a kiss on Flacks cheek.

"Hey you two, cut that off, you're at work." Mac ordered from the door.

"Mac! My shift ended five minutes ago!" Lindsay pouted.

"You're still at the work place, so behave."

Flack frowned at Lindsay who sat little father away and took his cup, "Now who's not sharing?"

"Sorry darling, Mac's orders." Lindsay smirked and set herself to a more comfortable position at the other end of the couch.

Hawkes, Danny, Adam, Kendall and Mary walked in. Adam sat as far as he could from Flack. Mac smirked at that, he filled two cups with coffee and handed one to Flack, who nodded thankfully and stuck tongue out at Lindsay, who made a face at him.

"Children!" Stella, who sat between them, scolded and swatted both them up to their heads.

Mac sat so he would face Flack, "Before we give Danny his present, we have a few darker matters to attend too. Don wanted to know how the cases are going. I can say we are in the beginning again. Samantha's computer showed us that she had been exchanging letters with someone who had made an e-mail account in your name Don."

"What?" Don sat upright.

"Yes, he coaxed her into New York, playing you. The account was deleted few days before Zack had traced it."

"So like you said, back at the beginning again."

"Yes, the security video didn't give us anything, when he entered into the hotel and her room; he wore a scarf and a baseball cap. When he came out from the room, she was leaning against him. We think he gave her some kind of a drug and he left a piece of cloth with chloroform behind to tell us that he had been there. He dragged her out of the back door without anyone seeing them."

"The bastard got away, again! Why I'm not surprised."

"Don't worry Flack, we will get him." said Kendall quietly.

"I know. But hey, we're not here to increase my depression, we're here to torment Danny."

"Goddamn, Flack is on the Jazz, man, he is on the jazz." Sid cracked.

"Too much A-Team, Hammerback?" Hawkes lifted his eyebrow.

"Like you didn't watch it, every time it was on the air, even the reruns. If I remember correctly, it was you, who several months ago, watched the A-team reruns in the morgue and quoted Murdock."

"I don't know; I have intermittent memory loss." Hawkes made quite good imitation of Murdock. People, who heard the laughter that followed the imitation in the break room, thought that Mac Taylor's team had finally gone crazy.

Mac wiped tears, "Now that we have proved that Sheldon is as mad as Murdock, we have a present for you, Danny."

"A present for me! Oh guys, you didn't have too." Nevertheless, his eyes shined like the ones of a kid on Christmas morning.

"Danny, you're as just as bad at telling lies as you are at playing hockey." Flack chuckled.

"What? I'm a good player!" No one had seen so eyes so big as the ones on Danny after that sentence.

"Yeah right, you fell seven times on your ass on the ice and the puck wound up in your own goal."

"Hey, I got distracted!"

"Yes, by the ice rink owners nine inch heels and min skirt wearing wife"

"Like you weren't?"

"No, she is my cousin!"

"You're sneaky bastard, Don!"

"You just now discovered that?" said Lindsay.

"I knew I just didn't know he was so bad."

"Oh, like past six or so years being pranked by him didn't give you a clue?" Mary shot from her seat.

"Brebrick…" Danny's words were cut off buy Stella. "Kids!" he made face at Mary and took the box that Mac was holding.

"We all chipped in" said Kendall pouring herself coffee.

Danny looked all of them suspiciously; he lifted the box cover carefully. He couldn't have guessed the contents in a million years. Inside was Hugo Boss black leather jacket. With patches on it's shoulders: CSI: NY written on the right one and Messer on the left.

"You didn't" Danny looked at them with surprise and astonishment.

"Yes, we did Messer." Mary smirked.

"You too, Brebrick?"

"Of course, but when they came asking, I thought I was giving the money for your early retirement fond, not your birthday present."

"I didn't know you cared."

Mary made a face at him.

"How did you all know that I wanted this Jacket?"

"Oh, maybe because you hinted subtly, that you wanted it to every one of us. I think it was something like this: hey Adam, Hugo Boss has a leather jacket I want." Adam raised his eyebrow.

"Oh, right." Danny even seemed little embarrassed.

"Danny, five people sent you more presents," Flack half-smirked, "Uncle Ralf sends his best wishes," he put a delivery bag from Lachesis on the table, "My mom sends her regards," he placed a German chocolate cake on the table, "And my pop, Patrick and Colin wished that you wouldn't become stranger in your old age." Two bottles of wine were added to the food and cake and the team cracked up again.

"Give your mother my thanks, tell uncle Ralf that I'll visit him soon and eat him out of business and to those three wisecrackers – tell them that payback is a bitch."

"Let's see what Flack's good old uncle Ralf sends for us." Sid rubbed his hands together and empting the bag of food.

* * *

In the middle of their eating Danny's phones started ringing, "Danny Messer… How far away…good…I'll be waiting."

He closed his cell, "People, my car will be here in twenty minutes. I want you all to be there when I receive it."

"Danny, it's a Mercedes, there is nothing special about it." Flack put his fork on the plate.

"Flack, believe me, it's special." Danny frowned at Flack. Don only chuckled and followed his friend like the team.

After standing on the sidewalk for five minutes Stella asked, "Well, where is you special car, Danny?"

"It will be here soon, patience is a virtue my dear."

"Right now, it isn't! I'm freezing my ass off." Sid crumbled.

"You should have put your coat on, Sid." At that moment they heard an ice-cream trucks song.

"Who would be so stupid and sell ice-cream in the middle of a November?" Kendall asked.

They soon found out, the truck turned around the corner and stopped right in front of police station, on the side of the truck was written: Danny Mersser, New York crime scene investigator.

"Mersser, I didn't know you were part-time ice-cream seller." Mary couldn't hold her tongue, everyone around who had gathered started snickering after seeing the truck.

Only thing what Danny could do was stare and then yell! "Flack!"

Who came smilingly beside him, "Happy Birthday, Danny-boy. Did I forget to mention that Frederick Moor was my classmate and he owed me one? When you took me to see the Mercedes, I saw he was selling his fathers old ice-cream truck as well." Flack turned his amused pale blue eyes towards Danny. "Next time when you sign a contract read the small print where it clearly stood that you'd get your Mercedes after riding with this ice-cream truck for a week." When delivery guy handed Danny the keys, every cop was laughing his head off. Flack was pleased he had finally had his revenge.

Lindsay stepped next to Adam, "My money, please."

"It's in the lab." Adam grinned.

Don heard the exchange, "Lindsay, you took part in the pool?"

"Yes and won. I was the only one who bet two and half months. By the way, Adam, how much I won?"

"600 bucks."

"You're kidding?" Don's mouth fell open.

"No, I got 30 people in it."

Lindsay laughed aloud, "Come along detective, I'll buy you a dinner tonight.

"Can't wait, Angel, can't wait."

Team left shocked Danny with his misery and Ice-cream truck.

* * *

**A/N: So this will be the ones who enjoy my writing. I have a game for you if you want participate read on. The game is this; I let you guess who the murderer is and what his motive is. The prize for the one who guesses correctly will be that I write a one-parter FM on his/hers wishes. If you guess only one and there are many winners I think out another question. The game last until I post 21 chapter. Good luck!**


	20. Nightmare before Christmas

**A/N: Here you go the 20th chapter. There will be three chapters more, because the 21. chapter became to long and I had to halve it but the end is near. I have gotten only one answer to my questions, hurry people, the time is ticking and as soon as I put up the 21 chapter you can't play anymore. Here is the 20th, the one I think you all have been waiting for. **

* * *

The sun was shining throw the glass walls of the lab, it wasn't as bright as it had been in spring and summer, but it still hurt eyes, so Flack tried to stay in the darker halls. It was week before Christmas; he had been back in work almost three weeks. The first week had been hell because as soon as he stepped into the station Hammerback and Hawkes had cornered his captain and demanded that he would be put at desk job for a week. He had already a little plan how to get his revenge to the good Doctors. But that was not all, almost everyone had tip-toed around him, like he would break like a China doll, worrying that if he was alright, if he felt good etc. Only ones who had treated him normal were Lindsay, Danny and Mary. Lindsay knew how he felt, he had ranted about it too much. And Danny had been wounded himself few years ago and knew exactly the feeling. But Mary had been the one who had surprised him the most, the lab tech had known that Don needed her to be the same sarcastical and cynical has she always been.

"I know Flack that playing a door is fun but you should move sometime so that people can come in and out." Mary's laughing voice brought him out from his thoughts.

"But what's the fun in moving. You know how many interesting and useful words I learned when I played a door when I was a kid." Flack chuckled stepping into the room.

"You're still a big kid and I have heard your very vivid vocabulary."

"It's only small part you have heard."

"But that is enough, you can even make sailor blush."

"Then my job is done. Did you found anything form the knife from the crime scene?"

"Yes, I found a partial fingerprint. I just running it trough the computer. Why isn't Danny pestering me about it?"

"He is processing the other evidence from the crime scene."

"Don't lie to me Flack. I know he has already processed the evidence. He just doesn't have the balls to face me." Mary raised his right eyebrow

"Oh he got the balls but he didn't have the mood to come and have his ego crushed again."

"That big baby."

"Why don't you give the guy a break and go out with him?" Flack settled himself comfortably against the table. He had already heard everything about Mary and Danny's bickering from Adam, Kendall and Lindsay.

"I know I'm mean, but I just want to see him crawl. He gets all the women just snapping his fingers. If he really wants to date me, then he must go thru more trouble with it." Mary leaned against the table beside him.

"You're not mean; it's just a smart woman's brain working. You have him almost cornered."

"I know. By the way, where is Lindsay?"

"She has the day off. And I think right now she is at home sulking, because no one else has day off and she wants to go Christmas shopping."

"Is she crazy, it's a week before Christmas and she wants to go shopping? I did my shopping two weeks ago."

"She has half done, she has been telling me for a week how she wants the other half done this week. But today she has no one to go with, she must stay home."

Mary looked at him, "You're still afraid that that crack job wants Lindsay?"

"I'm sure of it. He wants revenge for something I did to him and Lindsay is the final phase."

"You still don't have any idea who he is or what you did?"

"No not a clue." At that moment the computer peeped telling them that it found a match.

Flack smirked when he saw the answer, "Well Stella was right, it was a crime of passion."

* * *

Danny threw a water bottle to Don; they were sitting in Mac's office.

"So, the wife did it?" Hawkes asked.

"Yeah, she discovered that the victim cheated on her. When her husband came home she took the kitchen knife and stabbed him six times."

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Danny declared.

"You should know." Mumbled Mac at his desk same time writing something.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Danny asked with confusion. Mac looked at Flack and Hawkes and they started laughing.

"I don't know, if I were you, Danny, I'd watch my back. Mary is still mad at you for locking her in the cupboard last week." Sheldon laughed.

"I can handle Mary, but it's not me who should look my back." He made a face at Flack, "I had to ride an ice-cream truck for a week. For you Don, I'll think out something even more horrible."

"Oh no! I'm scared. Has Adam opened the pool again?"

"Yes." Mac and Sheldon said in unison.

"Damn it, I hope Lindsay doesn't win this one."

"Why?" Danny looked him, he thought that Flack enjoyed when Lindsay had won 600$.

"Because that means, she knows you to well." that statement made Mac's office fill with laughter that was interrupted by Flacks phone ringing.

"Speak of the devil." He smirked when caller ID flashed on the screen, "Bored already, Angel?"

"_Do you always, answer you phone like that, Flack_" Don's heart went cold; the voice on the other side was one that had hunted his dreams.

"How did you get that phone, fucker?" Flack tone and words got the attention of Danny, Sheldon and Mac.

"_One pretty lady dropped it, when I grabbed her. I don't understand how could you let her go Christmas shopping with out protection?_"

"Put a trace on Lindsay's phone." Mac muttered to Sheldon who ran out do to so.

"Where is she, you son of a bitch."

"_No need to insult my mother Flack. Here's the deal. I know you are already tracing the phone; if you find it you find the first clue. The __scavenger hunt begins; Hurry! the price is Lindsay Monroe. I'm not a patient man, if you take too long you'll find her dead just like the rest. Oh and Flack! Come alone._"

„I will kill you, when I find you." But no answer came, the only thing that Flack heard was street voices, "he dropped the phone." He said to Mac and Danny.

Sheldon bolt in to the office, "We got the position."

"Let's go!" Mac's order got them all moving.

* * *

As she came too, her mind was foggy and she had a headache. The last thing she remembered was that she stepped out from the shop and that the smell, chloroform, it hit her like comet from the space. Lindsay opened her eyes; she was in a dark room the lamp right above her shined so bright that it made her eyes hurt. Her hands were tied behind the chair and feet against the chairs legs. Monroe felt like she was in very bad horror movie, where someone always got killed and usually it was the victim.

Somewhere above her door opened and footsteps came down the stairs. So she was in a basement, her brain decided. The CSI training kicked in as she started working thru her memories of what she had seen or heard.

"Look who finally woke up!" Lindsay knew that voice; she had heard it before but where.

"Who are you? What to you want from me?"

Maniacal laugh rang throughout the room, "What do I want from you? It's simple and I think you already know. But if you want I can spell it out to you. I want revenge and do you know how I going to achieve it?"

Lindsay didn't say anything but she suspected.

"You're smarter than the other three, I think you know. But let me tell you anyway. I going to kill you in front of Flack and after that I'm going to kill him."

"Flack won't come here, he isn't a fool." She heard the maniacal laugh again as he circled around the lighted area, never showing his face, sometimes Lindsay could see his foot or hand but there were no identifying marks on them.

"We are all fools in love."

He was intelligent, "Quoting Jane Austen, I didn't know, that your kind of psycho reads such a classic."

"You have taken lesson from Flack about bitching." Something in that sentence felt familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"I don't need Don to teach me how do show someone like you to his place."

"And I thought you to be a sweet girl."

"Flack may call me an angel, but actually I'm devil incarnate."

"Aren't we full of ourselves?"

"Look who's talking. You didn't answer my question, who the hell are you?"

"I'm your worst nightmare, Ms Monroe." And he stepped into the light.

* * *

Flack didn't know how calm himself, the tough cop, who has done and seen everything, couldn't calm himself to save his girl. He started drumming with his fingers.

"Stop it Don, you must stay calm for Lindsay." Mac turned to the next street; he had taken Flacks car keys knowing that the young detective couldn't drive in the condition he was.

"Mac he has Lindsay, I can't calm down."

"Flack if you can't calm down, then I stop on the next street corner and put you down there."

Don knew that Mac would to as he threatened. He started to reach to the glove compartment, then stopped, he hadn't done it in months. But he felt the urge to have one smoke; he opened the compartment and took out a pack of Marlboro Flavor Plus. He had left fifteen smokes, he grabbed one. Don didn't remember how long he had had the pack, but he didn't even care what would happen to him even if the pack was two years old. When the car stopped, before the ally where Lindsay's phone signal came, he lighted the cigarette.

"You know that could kill you." Was only comment he got from anyone.

"Secure the area," Mac ordered, "look anything what seems suspicious and out of the place."

The CSI's walked into the ally; Flack finished the smoke out side the ally he didn't want to contaminate the scene. He saw how Hawkes examined Lindsay's cell. Others were processing the scene in the back of the ally. Don saw something sticking out beneath the dumpster, he stepped closer and dragged Lindsay's purse out, "I found her purse." Danny took it from him and looked it thru, "There is nothing out of ordinary here."

Flack wanted to yell; the bastard didn't make it easy for them, and if they didn't hurry Lindsay was going to die all because of him. Twenty minutes passed when Mac approached Don, "We haven't found anything, are you sure that he said you'd find a clue here."

"Yes he said: "_I know you are already tracing the phone; if you find it you find the first clue." _It must be here."

"I found a ring." Danny showed it to Mac.

"Where was it?" Mac examined it closer.

"Under a rock, it was put there so someone wouldn't find it, before he didn't look closer." Flack looked the ring on Mac's hand, he went pale as he recognized the ring.


	21. The game continues

**A/N: Here you go chapter 21. Read and enjoy. Read the A/N in the end of this chapter for more information.**

* * *

"I know this ring." Flack blurted out.

Mac Hawkes and Danny looked him. Don raised his left hand and in his ring finger there was a ring, with the same Celtic symbol. He took the bag, with the ring from Mac's hand.

"When we were seventeen – Me, Patrick, Colin, Camille, Melody and Lauren – gave an eternal friendship vow and we let a jeweler make us friendship rings. Every ring was engraved with the owners' name." he turned the bag so that everyone could read the name _Lauren_.

"Then it's Colin," concluded Danny, "he dated Lauren and they exchanged the rings."

Flack became deathly pale, "You're wrong Danny!" he ran to the car; others followed him.

"Explain." Mac demanded when he had landed on the passenger seat and the car started moving. He had never seen Don so scared.

"When we got the rings, we put them into a hat," Flack breathed deeply, to calm himself, he didn't need to have accident trying to save people he loved, "Everyone pulled out a ring, if you got your own you put it back. I got Colin's ring, Colin got Camille's ring, Lauren got my ring, Melody got Patrick's ring, Camille got Melody's ring and Patrick got Lauren's."

"Patrick!" Danny and Mac proclaimed in unison.

"Let me get this strait, the murderer, maniac, raper; is your sister's husband, your niece's and nephew's father and one of your best friends?" Sheldon asked from the back seat.

"It seems like that."

"But why?"

"That's what I'm going to find out." Flack put the blinkers on and speeded under the red light.

* * *

"Why are you doing this, Patrick?" Lindsay looked at one of Flack's best friends.

"You'll find out, when Flack gets here." Patrick smiled with satisfaction.

"He'll never come."

"Oh, yes he will. He would do everything for you, even kill, Angel."

"Don't call me that!"

"Flack, calls you that."

"You're not Flack!"

"But I'm your death, I should have some privileges."

"Go to hell,"

"Oh I will, but first I need to send Flack there."

"I don't understand Patrick, why you're doing this"

Patrick turned around like maniac, "Why!" He pointed the gun at Lindsay. Then he froze, lowered the gun and breathed deeply, "Like I said I will tell you when Donny-boy gets here." He smirked and Lindsay felt cold sweet running down her back, she finally understood that not just hers but also Flacks' life was on the line.

* * *

"So you hope Camille has some answers?" Danny asked when he recognized the street they were on.

"Yes, he left next clue with Camille, because he knows, that Camille would be the first one who I would confront." Flack parked the car in front Patrick's and Camille's house.

"Don what about April and Sean. If their in there, you can't talk to Camille." Mac grabbed Don's arm.

"They're at my parents place."

"How do you know?" Hawkes stepped out of the car.

"Camille told me when April was with me last time." The men walked up the walkway and rang bell.

Camille was surprised seeing all of them standing at her door, "Donny, Mac, Hawkes, Danny, what are you doing here?" she stepped back from the door so they could step in.

"We need to talk." Flack said and headed to the living room. Everyone else followed; when Camille stepped in she saw that her brother was looking out from the window, when they were children that had meant that Don was upset or angry. When he had joined NYPD he had trained it out but at times when the world was too heavy it kicked in again.

"Donny, what is going on?" she sat into the armchair.

"You lied to me," Flack turned around and pierced his eyes into her sisters, "and you lied to the police."

"What are you talking about?" But she had vague idea.

"You gave Patrick an alibi, the nights when Melody was killed. Why did you lie?" He stepped closer. The CSI's stayed back, they let Flack handle it, but they were ready to take over if it got too much for him.

"How did you figure it out?" Camille looked at his brother, something was wrong very wrong.

"Talk to me, Cam."

"I thought he had an affair and I didn't want April to know, you know how she is. And I didn't want to embarrass you and our parents."

"Where is he now, Camille?"

"He needed to get to work, we were going to have a nice quiet day at home, but he got an e-mail and out he went."

"Camille, can you tell me if Patrick was home on those nights when Olivia and Samantha were murdered?" Mac asked from the couch.

Camille thought a little, "No, he wasn't. Donny, tell me please what is going on!"

"He has Lindsay." Flack sank next to Mac on the couch, buried his head into his hands.

Camille turned wan her hands started to shake, "Donno, please tell me that it's some cruel joke you playing on me."

Flack couldn't answer he looked devastated, he started to say something but no words came out.

Mac took over, "I'm sorry Camille. Today we got a call from the murderer from Lindsay's phone, he had her. We traced the call in an alley beside a shop in Manhattan, where we found the phone and this." He took the bag with the ring from his pocket and gave it to Camille.

She looked the ring closer thru the bag, seeing the name in it all the color on her face was gone. "He has never taken the ring off from his finger."

"He killed Melody, Olive and Samantha, Cam. Please try to remember something that could help us."

Tears started running down Camille's cheeks. Her husband for last nine years, the man who she loved more than her own life; the father of her children had killed one of their childhood friends. She needed to take herself together. She was a daughter of a cop; she could do it, even if the man who she was giving up was her own husband. She though about everything Patrick had done in the last months. "No, nothing comes up."

Disappointed sights came from the men. Flack had hoped, he really read Patrick wrong, but it couldn't be, suddenly he had a thought, "Cam, did Patrick say something before he left."

Camille remembered suddenly, "Yes he told me to tell you, if you should come here, that we were at our parent's house yesterday and he had with an amused half-smile, "_Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock_" I thought it was some kind of a joke like you sometimes play."

All men shoot up from their sitting places, Danny turned to Flack, "He left the next clue to your parent's house, Don."

"I know. Cam we have to hurry, I know you want to be with April and Sean, but we can't take you with us. But we will have some policemen here soon and they'll take you there."

"Thank you, Donny, but hurry now, I have a bad feeling." With that the guys where out.

Camille stood at the door and watched them speeding away, "Why, Patrick, why?" the tears started running again.

* * *

Lindsay's head was spinning again; Patrick had injected something into her that had put her to sleep for some time. She thanked God that it hadn't been cocaine, it seemed that Patrick really had different plans for her then he had had with Melody, Olivia and Samantha.

"Oh, you're wake again," Patrick voice came somewhere from the darkness, "You were out for an hour, Flack is closer, I can feel it."

"You're a sick man, do you know that." Lindsay spat.

"I know, Lindsay dear, if I wasn't do you think that you would be here." A sneer crossed his face.

"Did you ever stop and think what your doing to Camille, April and Sean?"

"Don't talk about my family."

There was the opening what Lindsay needed. "Why not? Haven't you thought what it will become of them?"

"I don't care. They deserve everything what happens them."

"What!?" The one who was talking couldn't be Patrick Douglas, Lindsay had seen him with his family the man loved his wife and children. Had it all been an act? No, no man could act so well, to love his family, like Patrick had. Usually you could see from eyes if the love was true or just an act. Patrick's eyes had showed love for his family.

"Everyone, related to Flack, deserves what they get." came a nasty reply.

"You're a bastard, you know that?" that man wasn't sane, that was clear.

"Yeah, I have heard that before."

Lindsay couldn't stop herself, she needed to draw a picture of what his actions will bring to his family, "Why are you ready to ruin your family's life? Are you really ready to know your children's future? April will lose herself, knowing that her dad killed her uncle who she adores. Sean will never understand – he is too young to remember you or Don – why his father killed his uncle, why her sister hates everyone and why her mother is miserable."

"What, are you children's therapist now?" Patrick yelled.

"No, I just have seen it before."

"Shut up, shut the hell up already. Or do I need to nock you out again?"

Lindsay closed her eyes; she needed her mind clear and the drug that Patrick had given her before had made her groggy, so she stopped talking. Only one thing Monroe could think was to hope that Flack would hurry up.

* * *

Flack kept his foot on the gas pedal and thanked God that his parents lived only few streets down from Camille's and Patrick's home.

"I don't understand why Lindsay went Christmas shopping alone?" Hawkes asked from the back seat with puzzlement.

Flack chuckled, "You know her, she couldn't stay put even if her life depended on it." The laughter that had appeared on his face for a moment vanished quickly.

"Flack! Stop thinking and drive. We'll get her back, believe me." said Mac

A few seconds later Don turned into his parent's driveway.

When they stepped into the living room Don Flack sr looked up from the chess board, "Don, guys, what are you doing here?" at that Ralf raised his head from the other side of the board.

"Where are Mom and the children?"

"They're at Sophia's. Why are you asking?"

"Because I don't want April to hear what I'm about to say."

"Donny, what happened?" Uncle Ralf stood up.

"Patrick has Lindsay."

"What to you mean, he has Lindsay?" Ralf didn't understand.

But Donald Flack's old cop instincts kicked in. "You mean Patrick is the murderer?"

"Yes, he is the one who killed Melody, Olivia and Samantha." Mac stated from the door.

"That bastardo." After that came a flow of Italian cursing of which Mac understood it little bit, not everything, he heard how Sheldon whispered to Danny, "That is anatomically impossible." and he had to smile in that grave situation.

"Uncle, I understand that you want to do all that to Patrick but the only thing I could do is shoot him, when we find him and call it self-defense." After that Don's father started cursing in Gaelic.

"And I thought my family life was a mess, when we spoke in two languages. Don's even worse, his got three." Danny muttered and Sheldon snickered at that.

"Dad stop, we don't have a time for cursing him to the seventh layer of hell. He left a clue to Camille, which led us here."

"What was the clue?"

"That he was here last night, nothing more, nothing less." Sheldon joined the discussion.

"Dad, try to remember where he was, what did he do!"

Donald, who had in some point stood up, sat behind the chessboard again. Now he knew how the witnesses felt every time he asked the same question. "When they came, we had dinner and then we came to the living room, Camille and Delanna where busy with children and I tried to coax him to have a game of chess but he declined and went to browse the books like he always does when he is bored." Mac, Sheldon and Danny went right to the bookcase and started looking.

"Guys stop." Everyone in the room looked Don, like he had gone crazy, "Don't look at me like that. Think about it, everything he has done so far is about me. So that means look thru my favorite books." Danny grabbed quickly "War and Peace" and Mac "Crime and Punishment." Donald and Ralf exchanged looks; it was good to know that Don's team knew him so well, which meant, his back is well protected.

Sheldon cocked his head at Flack, "I just noticed both your favorite authors are Russians."

"I may seem like an American kind of guy, but you know very well, that a person isn't always what he seems." Flack smiled.

"Flack, there isn't anything." Danny remarked and put the fat book back into its place, Mac agreed. Don frowned, if everything was about him then why wasn't the clue between those books? What Patrick wanted, to hurt and kill him, he wanted him to be there when he killed Lindsay. Lindsay! that was it, "It isn't between my favorite books; its Lindsay's, look thru "Pride and Prejudice."" Sheldon found it first, and there it was; a post-it note was put on the pages where Darcy's first proposal scene began.

"_You got it so far, I'm impressed. Now for the next and final clue, go back to the beginning. PS: Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock._" Was written with Patrick's neat handwriting.

"What does he mean, back to the beginning?" confusion was drawn all over Ralf's face.

"Back to your childhood?" Sheldon suggested.

"Back to Melody's murder?" Danny guessed.

"Or back to the beginning of the scavenger hunt." Mac said.

"Damnit, his playing games again." Don grabbed his pack of smokes and walked out of the door onto the back porch.

* * *

**A/N: So mjels won the game she was only one who guessed, that the murderer is Patrick, she found the clue I gave you in the last chapter. Mjels think out the idea for the one-shot, what you want me to write and pm me.  
Keira-House M.D. also found the clue from the chapter but mixed up two friends.**

I think I have a little explaining to do. When I started writing this story I didn't know who the murderer was. When I mentioned Colin and Patrick first time I didn't mean to write one of them as murderer. After Olivia's murder I thought I make Colin the bad one and I started to create them. When I put them together in my head, I discovered I didn't like Patrick. I didn't know why, but something was off with him. I changed Patrick at least three times. I changed everything I didn't like about him, but it didn't help. Patrick had become the murderer in my head.

So I wrote the story so you could suspect Colin not Patrick, it seams it worked. I apologize to those who thought it to be Colin.

And I apologize to those who hate me right know for taking away April's and Sean's father.

**Maradon. **


	22. In here it ends

**AN: Here you go 22. chapter the one you all have been waiting for. I finnaly finished it. Sorry it took so much time, but as I have said before Universety is a bitch. But it has ended for this summer so I can write again as much as I like. I hope to write 23. chapter and the last much faster and when this story ends, I will write the one-shot the price for the game, so ****mjels send me your idea soon. But for now read and enjoy****  
**

* * *

Flack stepped out on the porch. The air was crisp and the sun was shining. It was December but there was no snow. He missed snow: it would have been perfect for his mood. Snow had two effects on him. First was depressing: when the white carpet covered the ground, he knew that everything under it was dead and he couldn't do anything about it. Secondly, snow gave him hope, because he knew that when Spring comes, snow melts and everything that had been sheltered by snow will reborn.

Don lit the cigarette and took the first drag, when the back-door opened, "Could you give your old man one of those?"

"Dad, you know what will happen when mom finds out about this…" Don took a cigarette and gave it to his father.

"Who said she has to find out," Flack Sr raised his eyebrow.

"What were we talking about?" Don grinned, his father smiled back.

"But there is something I still can't understand: back when I started smoking as a teenager, you didn't stop me," Flack broke the silence.

"Because it was your life what you were ruining. But if you had let Camille smoke, you would have been in so much trouble."

"Let me guess, you would have ordered me to smoke all the cigarettes I had in my pack, in front of you?" when he had said it, he grimaced, that was a very disturbing idea, but he decided to remember that, when he wanted his child quitting smoking.

"No, I would have bought you a new pack and let you smoke all of that in front of me."

Before Don could answer anything they heard Mac's and Ralf's voices.

"By the way, how did mom get uncle Ralf here today?"

"Well, Delanna called him and said, she will use her younger sisters rights and take over "Lachesis" and turn it into an Italian restaurant if he didn't come today to play with his grandniece and -nephew. Your uncle was here in an hour and tried to claim that he had taken a day off before your mother called him."

"Did he really think you bought it? Even when he is dead he will go and hunt that place and drive his every employee crazy." Flacks cracked up, Don held his stomach; it hurt, he discovered few more muscles he didn't have any idea he had.

"I knew that you were talking about me," and Ralf stepped out to the porch, Mac followed him.

"To you really think we don't have anything else talk about than your Highness Raffaele Gallucci."

"You smart-ass, give your uncle a smoke."

Flack took another one from the pack, "Now I know why I smoke, my every single one of the goddamn male relatives smokes."

"Your Uncle Seamus didn't."

"And that's what killed him." Ralf took long drag.

"Uncle Ralf, he died in the Gulf War."

"If he had smoked, he wouldn't have gone to Kuwait."

"Again your strange logic, I don't know why you didn't like him."

"Because I liked your father better," Don had do chuckle at that, his uncle and his father had both courted his mother, but she had chosen his father. And that brought him back to why he and the team were at his parents. His company saw the change, they had tried to raise his spirit and for a while it had worked.

"Donny, you'll find her, you'll figure out the clue," Don Sr put his hand on his son shoulder.

"I don't understand why he's using Lauren in the revenge against you. She was such a sweet girl; she worked for me for a while. We talked a lot; she wanted to go study business and after that turn the house she had inherited from her great-aunt into a hotel."

And then it happened. Ralf's last sentence moved everything into a right place for Flack and Mac. They exchanged looks and Mac grabbed his phone, "What was Lauren's last name?"

"Masella."

"Adam search Lauren Masella, she inherit…" He looked at Ralf, who understood and mouthed 12 years to him, "…12 years ago a house, find where it is and who owns it now." He closed the phone shut and went inside to tell Danny and Sheldon the news.

"Uncle Ralf, you're a genius." Don hugged him.

"I know, it good to hear that someone else has figured that out as well."

"Flub your ego, Raffaele, and let's have a drink." Donald dragged his brother-in-law with him, leaving Don alone.

Flack took one last drag and smiled, the hope was back.

* * *

It had to be a bad dream. Lindsay was convinced. It had to be a dream. It really wasn't happening, she was sleeping in Don's bed, his hand was around her waste and all this was a bad dream. One of Flack's best friends hadn't kidnapped her, he hadn't killed Flack's former lovers and he didn't want to kill Don.

Opening door above her head told her that it wasn't a dream, Don wasn't there and Patrick really had done all those things.

"Are you sleeping?" Patrick stepped in front of her.

"No, thinking."

"About what?"

"Why would I want to tell you?"

"That would amuse us both."

"I have only one thing to tell you, Patrick, Go .To. Hell."

"You never surprise me anymore...you sound like a broken record"

"And so do you; this here is starting to get old as well."

"Which is why you should be excited that Flack will be here soon… and everything will be over..."

That was exactly what Lindsay was afraid of. She knew that they were entering to the last act of the play that was bound to be a tragedy and end with a death. The word from Princess Bride came to her mind, "Life isn't fair, but it's fairer than death." She hoped that tonight wasn't the night when she and Flack will know how fair death could be.

* * *

Flack stepped in the living room, when Mac closed his phone, "So?" Mac told him the address what Adam had found.

"It's in Greenpoint."

"I have better news; guess who owns that place right now."

"I have my suspects but enlighten me." Flack crossed his arms, as if trying to protect himself from the harm that the truth could bring.

"Patrick's law firm: McLeod, Saunders and Douglas."

"Then what are we waiting for, let's go."

When guys ran out, Ralf drowned the glass of whiskey, "I hope they find her. She is good for Donny."

"Yes she is, from all of serious relationships he has had, she is one of the best, if not _the_ best of them. Melody was too young do understand what a puzzle Donny actually is. Olivia, well…Neither me nor Delanna liked her… And Samantha, she was too ambitious. But Lindsay, she is gentle, smart and strong, just the girl Donny needs by his side." Donald refilled the whiskey classes. They just had finished those classes, when Delanna stepped in with Sean and April, she raised an eyebrow, "So tell me, what should I do with you two, I go for an hour to Sophia's and when I come back, I find my husband and brother drinking?"

"This is the time when Napoleon would have ran…." Ralf muttered to Donald.

"No, this is the time when Napoleon would have gone and begged to be sent to exile to St Helena." Both men swallowed hard when Mrs. Flack stepped closer.

* * *

"Back-up and extra forces are on their way," Mac put his phone away.

"So what will we do, when we get there?" Sheldon looked at Flack.

"I'll go in, alone." Don said casually, his eyes focused on the traffic.

"No way, Flack, you're not going in there alone." Danny frowned.

"If I don't go in there alone, he will kill Lindsay, you know that."

"Don, no!" Danny said angrily from the backseat.

"Danny, it's Lindsay we are talking about, remember that! It is not just any other operation. I will go in alone, and if we aren't out in twenty-five minutes you guys come in with the back-up. And make sure that they have ambulance with them."

There was silence; everyone tried to shut out their thoughts about how all this could end. Don was right: it was not just any other rescuing operation. Everyone felt as they had on their first mission; eager to do good, yet almost paralyzed by the fear of failure.

Flack had not noticed that Dar Williams' song Blue Light of the Flame was playing on the radio, but the words "Everything burns in our path" brought him around and pierced to his heart. He didn't need that song right now. He knew that it was almost certain that he will die today: he would die for Lindsay and Patrick knew that. So this is how it feels… or do miracles exist? Why is that only in situations like that we start to value things that stay on the background otherwise.

They parked the car across the street of the house. "Flack, are you sure?"

"As sure as I can be, Mac. I understand how you feel, but try to understand me as well. Lindsay is in this mess because of me and I'm going to get her out of it." Don saw that the three men didn't want to let it happen but they didn't have any better ideas.

"So, no more protests?" He looked them; he saw worry and fear in their eyes but also respect and admiration, "Good. Now, I have four Kevlar vests in the trunk."

"When did you get them?" Danny asked when he was putting the vest on.

"When you went and grabbed your kits," Flack strapped his vest and took his gun, "25 minutes starts when I step into the house." CSI's nodded and Flack took off.

When Don got closer to the house, he had a feeling, that he knew that place; he had been there before. He sneaked quietly to the backdoor and opened it. Flack stepped into the kitchen and he remembered. He had been in that house when he was six; here was where it all had begun. Behind the same kitchen table friendship had born. A friendship that was supposed to last through everything, it was not supposed to end like that. It had been a full circle – it ends where it began.

Flack sighed deeply; memories had distracted him, but there was no time to lose. As he remembered the house was huge and he could not possibly search it entirely as he had only left 22 minutes. He felt the fear again.

But then something caught his eyes, basement door, it wasn't covered with dust like everything else in the kitchen. Of course, he should have known, it would be very Patrick to go for something sinister yet cliché like that.

Don stepped closer to the door, it was completely quiet, but he knew Lindsay was there – he could feel it. He opened the door slowly and saw it. There was one lamp, which was situated at the centre sending shadows over the entire room. And then he saw her. Lindsay was bound to the chair and duct tape covered her mouth. Flack did not move it wasn't Lindsay he had hoped to see; he didn't see, hear or feel Patrick, which was strange and made him very cautious. He would not have left his hostage unguarded.

He could not stay there, he had to take the leap; Flack crept down from the stairs, he looked around but still didn't sense Patrick anywhere. He stepped closer to Lindsay and started to take the duct tape off, but saw a quick movement reflecting from the eyes of Lindsay and at the same moment he felt a gun against back of his head.

"You didn't heed my warning Flack, I told you to look behind you." Even when he didn't see his face, he could feel him grinning and see the savage satisfaction reflected from his eyes. At that Don growled.

"You're not a dog, Donny, my boy. Now throw your gun in the other end of the room and take off the vest."

He did not even think, it just felt so surreal, and just followed the orders. The gun flew to the other end of the room, Lindsay's eyes pierced at him, when he strapped open the vest, and throwing it on the floor next to her.

"Good boy, Donny. Now turn, so that your right said is towards Lindsay."

Flack did like he was said, "What to you want Douglas?"

"What do I want? I think I made myself clear, I want revenge, Flack, revenge."

"For what? What the fuck have I done to you so bad that you had to kill three women and kidnap another one?"

The laughter that came out from Patrick was cruel and maniacal. It froze blood in Flack's veins; what had happened to his best friend, he felt so confused. Patrick Douglas, a guy they all had known was lost. It could not have been him. What had happened…When he stepped in the basement he had thought that there was something to save, but now everything was gone.

"Tell me Patrick!"

"You ruined my life; everything I'm right now, is because of you."

"What are you talking about? I have always been your friend."

"Friend, friend…. friend my ass!" Patrick was piercing to Flack's eyes, "Everything you ever did was for your own good. Because of you I lost the love of my life."

"Patrick, the love of your life is Camille."

"Oh, you really think I love Camille?"

"Yes, you dated her and then married her."

"It was because you forced me."

"I did not force you to date my sister, you that know very well, if you hadn't been my friend I would have killed you."

"You should have, because you forced me into marrying her!" Patrick shouted and his grip on the gun got stronger.

"What are you talking about? You have gone mad, I didn't force you."

"You didn't really? Let me think what words you used: "You have a heart of stone, Patrick, if you won't marry my sister after you knocked her up. And if you don't I'll come and find you and beat you up so that your mother even won't recognize you." If that's not forcing, I don't know what it is. And because of that I lost Lauren."

Don felt Lindsay's eyes on himself, he couldn't look at her, he had done the right thing, but maybe not the right way. Then Patrick's last words hit him, "Lauren?"

"Yes we loved each other."

"She didn't love you, she loved Colin."

"She loved me, every word she said to me, every move she made, showed the love she felt for me."

"She loved you like a brother nothing more nothing else. She was engaged to Colin."

"Colin, the man, who didn't care for her. I was always there, beside and behind her, I looked after her."

"She was right." Flack was so shocked that he took a step back, "Lauren told me and Colin that you were stalking her, but we didn't believe her, we thought that she had become delusional in the final stage of cancer. But, goddammit, she was right."

"I didn't stalk her, I looked after her; I cared for her like nobody else."

"You're crazy!"

"I'm crazy, maybe. But you're a murderer."

"What!"

"Using your uncle's strange logic, you killed them when you started dating them. Do you know how easy it was to convince Melody that you wanted to get back together with her? She told me the time when she would get home from work – how easy it was to seduce Terry Swan and get copy of the key to that apartment and then follow Olivia and drag her here. Or make a fake e-mail account and coax Samantha to NY and making her to believe that you wanted to continue the relationship; I had so much fun cutting the words on her stomach. See, they all died because of you. And now the only woman out of them I respect will die and it's your fault." Patrick turned the gun at Lindsay, "Say goodbye, to the love of your life, Donny-boy." Before he could shoot Flack grabbed a gun under his shirt and shot, Patrick's gun went off, "Shit!" he dropped it. Lindsay's chair fell on its back

"Lindsay!" Flack ran to her.

"I'm okay, cuff Patrick," he could hear her mumbling through some bits of duct tape he had not been able to remove before. Lindsay grimaced from the pain.

Don took his handcuffs and locked Patrick to the bed he found in the corner. "If you knew me, Douglas, you should have known that I carry an extra gun."

"You shot me in the arm, Flack!"

"It was my pleasure."

Don went back to Lindsay. He opened the ropes and looked at her wound, "It's your shoulder; you can't use it for a time. How to you feel?"

Lindsay tried to laugh, but it hurt so much, "How do I feel, I just got shot. But to say it simple it is somewhere between ouch and slit my throat, if you please."

Don chuckled, "You are going to be alright."

"How do you know?"

"Because you're making jokes." Flack kissed Lindsay's forehead.

"You smoked?"

"Yes, I didn't have a lawnmower or a bottle with me."

"Smoky, I'm tired."

"Lindsay, no don't fall a sleep. And what the hell did you call me."

"Smoky, you call me Angel and I call you Smoky, the balance is created." With that she closed her eyes.

First thing what the team and the paramedic heard when they came to the basement was Flack crying, "Lindsay!"

* * *

AN: Here you go, wait with patience the last one will be up soon


	23. Epilogue

**A/N: Here you go, at last after two years it's finished, I hope you all enjoy it.**

* * *

The snow was finally falling over New York, when clock struck 2 PM on Christmas Eve. She was lying on the loveseat in Flack's study and was drowsily looking out the window. Everything was covered with snow. Usually grey and gloomy streets were bright and merry. It seemed like a pot of white paint had been poured over the city. It was all very beautiful. This sight reminded her Montana.

She sighed, now she knew what Flack had felt, she couldn't do anything without anyone watching over her shoulder, Don was the only one who acted normal. And she was bored, because there was nothing to do. Usually she would hate to just sit there and do nothing, but something inside her felt like she needed that rest – time to do nothing and think about nothing. After she had been staring out for a while, she realized that she could hear Tom and Jerry's Christmas episodes from the living room. She had no idea what Flack was doing, but because it was one of his favourite cartoons – she smirked – Don was probably sitting in front of the TV like an eager little boy.

When she tried to stand up, the book she had been reading before fell to the floor. She couldn't catch it, because her left arm was still in a sling. The tartan blanket that was on her feet, started to slide down as well, but Lindsay got it with her right hand. While she grabbed the blanket she looked at it and felt like she had to smile. When she had told Stella that she didn't know much about her roots, she had forgotten that her ancestors from father's family line came from Scotland and before their family name was Americanized it was Munro – as one of the Scottish clans. Her great-great-great-great- or something like that -grandparents came to America. When she was little her grandmother had given both her and her sister a tartan blanket: Amy had gotten the Munro one and hers was the Sutherland's – her great-great-great-great-grandmother had been from the Sutherland clan. Lindsay had forgotten that she had taken it with her to NY. But when she got home from hospital she had found it on the bed, Don had dug it out from the boxes.

While she was still smiling, she turned her eyes back to window. Snow outside reminded her childhood and winters in Montana that had been almost like an enchanting fairyland. How she and Amy had played in the snow and their brothers would start a snow fight. Or the numerous times they went ice skating on a local small lake. Or maybe the time when they went altogether to the forest to find a nice Christmas tree, because their dad's little angels only deserved "the best tree out there". She missed them, and frown replaced the smile.

"You know you should not frown…"

"…because you never know when somebody is falling in love with your smile." Lindsay took her eyes from the snow and saw Don standing on the doorway drying his hand into a towel.

"What are you thinking about?"

"About childhood"

"What about that?" he threw the towel on his shoulder and stepped closer.

"I miss the winters in Montana."

"Montana, I would like to go there one day."

"To Montana? Donny, you're a city boy, you wouldn't last a day in Montana."

"Is that so? Well, then I will never meet your family."

"Oh, you will, when the time is right, Smoky."

Don sat down on the edge of the loveseat, "Why are you still calling me that?"

"Because it annoys you and like I told you that day: this creates a nice balance."

"I thought you didn't remember it."

"I do, I remember every detail of that day."

"Is it a good or a bad thing?" he pushed hair away from Lindsay's eyes.

"I don't know. I can't figure it out, maybe it's actually both."

"Yeah, I know the feeling. I would have killed him, you know."

"It's good that you didn't, I wouldn't want his blood on your hands."

"But now I don't know, which is better for April and Sean, whether Patrick is in the jail or the nuthouse… or if he is dead."

Lindsay caressed his cheek, "Darling, imagine what April and Sean would feel if they knew that their uncle, who they love so much, killed their father."

"You're right as always, but now is time to take your medicine."

Don had to smirk when her face screwed up, "I don't wanna...ugh"

"Lindsay Monroe acting like a baby, where is my camera when I need it?"

"Look who's talking, if I remember correctly it was you who whined like one-month-old child."

"But you, darling, should not whine, because from today onwards, you're having some ordinary painkillers, doctors orders."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, my little angel, but now take it in and then go and change your clothes, because we're going out."

"Wait, we are going out?" Lindsay sat up to fast and hurt her shoulder, "Where?"

"Yeah, and don't forget to put a jumper on." He headed to the door again.

"Don't ignore me, where we're going?"

"It's a surprise, angel. Now take your medicine." And he was out.

"Smoky, Don, FLACK!" Lindsay tried to stand up but her legs were tangled in the tartan, "Men, they can be so annoying…."

* * *

Lindsay sat on the passenger seat. Don looked at her, "Are you going to be so grumpy for the entire ride?"

"Yes, because you won't tell me where are we going."

"You'll see, be more adventurous," but he could see from her face that her life had been recently way too adventurous, so he decided to just shut up.

Lindsay stared at him, shook her head and then turned her head, looked out the window and snoozed off.

She woke up again when the car stopped.

"We're here." Flack grinned, when he said that.

"Where?"

"Step out the car and you'll know."

Lindsay could not hide how annoyed she looked and stepped out from the car, Flack followed her. Lindsay looked around for a moment then turned and grinned, "I should have guessed… I sometimes doubt your sanity. Only you could bring me to Central Park in midst of a snowstorm."

"And sometimes I doubt yours. You're from Montana and you say this little snowfall is a snowstorm."

Lindsay who had started walking turned her head over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at Don.  
"Don't show it if you don't use it."

"Who said I won't use it?"

"Are you tempting me?"

"Are you taking the bait?"

"Maybe," He grinned and took after her.

Lindsay squealed, it was very lady like squeal not squeal like some of the teenagers do, and ran towards the Central Park as fast as she could. But Flack's long legs carried him faster and he caught her and toppled her gently on to the snow so he would not hurt her shoulder.

"You caught me, what are you going to do?"

"Gaining the price," And then he kissed her, Lindsay couldn't think, there were stars all around her, and the only smell her nose picked up was Don's everything around her was Don. The kiss made her forget everything and at the same time to see everything. If heaven was real, then Flack's kiss, so powerful and at the same time so gentle, was heaven. When Don lift his head Lindsay murmured, "You know, your kisses should be punished by the law."

"Why is that?" Flack asked pulling her on her feet.

"Because your kisses take away the ability to think and they make my knees weak so I can't walk."

"Then your kisses should be punished as well."

"Flatterer," Lindsay smiled.

Flack watched her, the happiness when she walked in the snow. He had almost lost her week ago. And it was his fault. He still felt so guilty about it. How could he have known it was so wrong to trust someone, he had known for all his life. How easy it was to make mistakes. How can he trust anyone now? Every single time he was thinking about Patrick, he would feel his blood pressure rising and breathing became more and more difficult. Anxiety and anger took over.

"Don…Don't think about him."

Don shook the fog out of his mind, when he heard Lindsay's words.

"What?"

"I can see from your face that you're thinking about Patrick. Don't, it will hurt you more."

"I can't do that, angel. He was one of my best friends, a man who I considered as my brother, the father of my niece and nephew. And I worry about them, but I also hope he gets the death penalty."

"Don, that's cruel." Lindsay took his chin between her fingers and looked in his eyes, they told him that he really thought so, "Why, Don?"

"Because I don't want his children the life he offers. April knows that he is in jail, but she doesn't know for what. Camille decided that, when she is 16 and Patrick doesn't get the death penalty she will tell her the entire story and she can decide if she wants to see him, before that Camille won't let her. The same case is for Sean."

"I can understand that," Lindsay walked away.

"You have forgiven him?" He put his hand around her waist.

"No, and I think I never will. But let's not talk about him or that day, it is a beautiful winter evening."

"Yes, you're right, it is a beautiful winter evening," Lindsay smiled and walked to the snowdrift.

"Monroe, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" she asked while making a snowball.

"Angel, we aren't going to have a snow fight," Don frowned.

Lindsay winked.

"Oh, yes we a-a-a-are, Smoky," and the snowball hit Flack right between the eyes.

He rubbed his eyes, but only a second later scooped up a handful of snow, "You're so going to regret that," and he ran after Lindsay.

Finally, after they had battled for half an hour, Lindsay landed on pence holding her hands up, "Okay, I give up."

"Already?" Don sat down beside her.

"Yes?"

"Your shoulder?"

"Hurts a little pit, I'm knackered."

"Okay, let's sit for a while. And then we're going."

"To where?" She raised her eyebrow.

"You'll see."

"Again?"

"Yes." Lindsay just shook her head – she was too tired to argue with him – and then relaxed and closed her eyes. She felt a little kiss on her forehead. She sighed, she loved that man so much and no one or anything could take that love away from her.

"Are you ready?"

Lindsay opened her eyes and nodded. She followed him to his car. When she sat into the car it hit her, "Smoky, its Christmas eve. And we don't have a…"

"Tree," Don finished the sentence for her, "oh, that rimes."

"Don, that's not funny, we don't have a Christmas tree. And maybe you just haven't noticed – or I hit those last snowballs too hard… it's Christmas"

"Relax, Sherlock, I got it covered."

"Really?"

"Really."

Lindsay rolled her eyes, Flack was so sneaky. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Lindsay couldn't to anything else but mutter, "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Oh really, Obi-Wan."

Lindsay smirked at that comment, "Be happy, that I didn't tell you: Use the force, Luke."

"I knew it was a bad idea to have the Star Wars marathon yesterday."

"Don't whine and, instead, drive. Otherwise it will be your bedtime soon."

Lindsay laughed and relaxed, Don could be sneaky but she had the feeling she would follow him to the end of the world.

Little later she started recognizing the neighborhood, "We're going to your parents?"

"Yes, it seems like the little CSI in you is working again."  
"Not funny. We are really going to your parents' place?"

"Yes, we're going to my parents annual Christmas Eve dinner."

"But we don't have any presents with us."

"It's all taken care of, they're in the trunk."

"When? How?"

"When you were sleeping." They turned on to the driveway.

"Hey, those are Mac's and Danny's cars."

"Yes, and I think, Stella, Sheldon, Adam, Kendall are also here. And Mary, when my mother heard that she was an orphan, she asked her to join us."

"Who else?"

"Colin, uncle Ralf, Camille with children. But Sophia, if I remember correctly, won't come, because it would have hurt too much."

"So basically everyone?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

Flack took two bags with presents from the trunk and Lindsay followed him inside, first thing they heard was, "You say that you'll do anything to date me, Messer?" Mary asked with sarcastic interest.

"Yes!"

Lindsay took her goat off and muttered to Don, "Did he sound desperate to you?"

"I take a note of that." Mary's voice was heard again.

"He should be, no woman has before fought with him so much, usually he snaps a finger and they run to him."

"He is your best friend..."

"He maybe, but it's always fun to laugh at him."

"You're cruel man, Donald Flack," said Danny from the doorway.

"Look who's talking." Danny couldn't answer because April ran to him, "Uncle Doe."

"Merry Christmas, squint." He picked her up and placed her on his hip.

"Ah, Donny," his father said when they stepped into the room.

"Hi, dad."

"Lindsay, how's your shoulder?"

"Its fine Donald, it only hurts a little bit, but its fine."

"Good to know," Don listened only with half an ear, he knew his father and Lindsay's routine, soon his father will start hitting on Lindsay – all in good fun, as his father liked to say – and then his mother would come and give his father "the look." But his mother didn't come, Don cocked his eyebrow, "Dad, where's mom?"

"She is in the kitchen with Ralf."

Don rolled his eyes: they never learn. Seeing his face April giggled.

"Dad! Mum and uncle Ralf together in the kitchen!"

"Relax, it's only a Christmas dinner, not the first, or probably actually hundredth, culinary war between Italian foods and Greek foods. At least I hope so…"

Flack had to cover his eyes, "Don't you remember last year's red wine stain on mum's white shirt, what didn't come out until St. John's day."

"And year before that."

Colin stated from the corner of the room, where he played chess with Mac, "If I remember correctly, that bump from a wooden spoon on uncle Ralf's head was there for weeks. And I can't find a memory from my childhood or my adulthood where Gallucci siblings would have had a nice quiet Christmas Eve, without biting each others heads off."

"Don't worry; Cam and Sean are with them," Don sr said pouring himself brandy, he remembered those Christmases, but he hoped that his wife and brother-in-law would have grown up.

"Oh, that will help, a woman and two-year-old toddle, they will be just causalities...or living shields…" Don muttered, Lindsay and April who both heard that giggled.

Flack stopped at the kitchen door, his mother had taken an egg and played with it like it was walking on a wall and singing at the same time, "Humpty Dumpty, sat on the wall."

"That's Sean's favorite nursery rhyme, she actually hasn't gone mad…hopefully" Don muttered to Lindsay when uncle Ralf sang the other line, "Humpty Dumpty had a great fall." Sean squealed when his mother sang the third line, "And all the kings horses."

Flack recognized his opening and sang, "And all the kings men."

"Couldn't put Humpty together again." April finished the song. Sean squealed and clapped, then it registered to him that who had been one of the singers; he turned around and yelled "Un-ce," Like every other two-year old he couldn't pronounce l.

"Hi, squirrel." Sean got that nickname when Camille had dressed him as a squirrel for Halloween. Flack put April down and threw Sean into the air, Delanna and Camille gasped.

"What you're afraid of? You know very well that I wouldn't drop him."

"We know dear, but even with that knowledge, we always age ten years, when you do that." His mother raised her eyes from the eggs. Don only smirked to that.

"Santa!" Sean proclaimed from Flack's hip.

Don laughed, "Yes, Sean, Santa will come tonight and bring half of the present here and other half tomorrow morning," Sean squalled from the happiness. Suddenly he got serious he looked at Don and stated, "Unce Doe." Don raised his eyebrow; Lindsay bit her lip so she wouldn't laugh. Flack turned to his niece, "April?!"

"What, uncle Don," Lindsay couldn't seem to stay calm anymore and started giggling hard, April's innocent face was so similar to Dons that it was funny, "You know small children, they pick up everything you say."

Camille sent to her daughter one of those mothers' glares.

"Alright, alright! I taught him that yesterday. All day long, because he couldn't pick it up." At that Flack could only shook his head.

"You know the saying, Donny my boy," Ralf looked his nephew from the stove, "We spend the first twelve months of our children's lives teaching them to walk and talk, and the next Twenty-four years telling them to sit down and shut up!"

"Hey," April crossed her arms.

"Sorry, kiddo, but it's true."

When three of them – Ralf, April and Don - started arguing about that, Camille stepped beside Lindsay. "Could I talk to you?"

They went to Donald's study, Camille sat on the couch. "I wanted to apologize to you."

"For what?"

"You know very well for what… what my husband did to you. I don't know what to say, but I feel responsible."

"Camille, it's not your place to apologizing for your husband's doings."

"I know, but I feel guilty. I knew he was up to something and I didn't do anything. I just thought that maybe he was having an affair... and I was so embarrassed about that. I just wanted to pretend everything was ok, but if I had been braver… I…could have made a difference. It is partly my fault…and… I don't know how to live with my conscience."

"Camille, it is ok. It's not your fault! How could you have known? No-one did and who would have guessed that. He was your husband and Don's friend; I still haven't got any idea how you are actually coping with that. I admire you both and when we all support each other, we will get over it. I'm sure I would be going mad, if it had been Don…"

"No, he wouldn't..."

"We thought the same thing about Patrick… I'm sorry… When was the last time you cried Camille?"

"When guys came to tell me what he had done."

"You should cry. Cry and move on with your life and your children lives."

"I can't."

"Yes you can, and, well, you have to, for your children. Think what you have to go through, when Patrick gets death penalty..."

"I know." And then the tears came. They came so hard, that Lindsay couldn't do anything else but sat down on to the sofa and hold Camille. Strangely at that moment, she understood why Don wanted Patrick to be dead. Before it all had been like a dream for her, something in her wanted to forget and something always remember and now she felt the pain the hurt Patrick had caused.

Lindsay couldn't do anything, but let Camille to cry and it made her sob as well, but she tried to hide it. Camille's tears stopped fifteen minutes later, "Thank you and sorry."

"For what?"

"For listening and letting me use your shoulder to cry on, even when it hurt."

"No problem, my shoulder is getting better; few of your tears didn't to any harm to it." Camille laughed, and then they heard it, sudden whoosh and someone's groaning.

"It seems like mom and uncle Ralf is at it again." But in the living room was a picture they hadn't been waiting for, Danny was on his stomach and Mary was sitting top of him.

"What the hell is going on in here?" That was Don, who had come from the kitchen, he had to smirk at the picture that was in front of him, everyone else was doing the same.

Mary raised her eyes from the TV, "Well, Messer here wanted to teach me to fight, but it seems like he hadn't read my CV, or else he would know, that I have blue belt in karate." And that was it, everyone who had tried to hold back their laughter couldn't anymore. And as sudden as the laugh had began it stopped and everyone looked behind Don with shocked faces. Flack looked at them, then rolled his eyes, he had left his mother and uncle alone in the kitchen, he didn't know if he wanted to turn around but he had to. Behind him stood his uncle covered with flour, "Never, ever argue with your mother which kinds of spices to but into the sauce." He stomped into the bathroom. Everyone looked after him, then Delanna stepped out from the kitchen, "That should show him, ginger is better than cinnamon, yeah right!" And the living room was filled with laughter once again.

* * *

Everyone else were gone home, Don and Lindsay had decided to stay at Flack's parents' home. In the house everything was quiet, but outside, the wind had picked up and the light snowfall had turned into snowstorm. Don and Lindsay were lying on sofa in Donald's study before the fireplace. Flames were happily dancing in there when the clock stroke midnight.

Flack took a box out from the pocked, "Merry Christmas, angel."

Lindsay takes the box, "Yours is at home, Smoky."

"No problem, you can give me it later, now open it." Lindsay did like was said, in the box was a bracelet: a silver sword between a silver chain.

"Read the inscription."

Lindsay turned it around and in the other side of the sword were Gaelic words: Calma, dlisteanach, gra, muintearas go deo. She turned towards Flack with a puzzled face.

"In translation, angel, it means: Brave, loyal, love, friendship forever."

"It's beautiful, Smoky."

"As are you."

The snowstorm continued behind the windows, but inside before the fire everything was peaceful.

* * *

**A/N: Next one you read from me will be the one parter what mjels won, you remember I had the competition who would guess who's the murderer and his motive. I don't know what will be the next fanfic I will write after that, but I have a vague idea, right now on one of my shoulders there is sitting Adam Cartwright and on the other is sitting little Joe Cartwright, who are telling me that I have a story about them in me. And they are threatening me that if I don't wrote a story off them they are staying in my head for all my life: play poker, argue and annoy me. So I'm still thinking about it, because what girl wouldn't want to have two handsome men living in his head. Okay that sounded very crazy. But, yes the one parter will be up soon, I'm writing it right know and I hope to finish it before my lectures start again. **


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